


Charlie's Angels

by buckysknifecollection



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, References to Depression, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-10-17 03:43:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20614418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckysknifecollection/pseuds/buckysknifecollection
Summary: Charlotte Barton is an agent of SHIELD who through her friendship with Sharon Carter gets involved with the famous Alpha Team. Friendships, banter and a bit of a crush on a certain super soldier occur.





	1. The Flu

**Author's Note:**

> {{This piece was reposted from my Tumblr blog buckysknifecollection.tumblr.com}}
> 
> Chapter summary: When Sharon Carter gets ill, she needs someone to keep an eye on her team. Will they get along with Agent 14?

_**13:** I need a favour. It’s urgent!_

_**14: **What do I get in return? ;)_

_**13:** All the pizza you want_

_**14:** Deal. _

She hoped the favour wouldn’t be work related, but then again she wasn’t surprised. Turns out, the mighty Sharon Carter was defeated by the flu and needed someone to replace her on the mission she was supposed to lead her team on in…..3 hours?

Charlie groaned and got out of bed. _There goes my day off_. Oh well, she’ll be paid overtime at least and the mission seemed easy enough, judging by Sharon’s brief explanation that followed in another text. Good news was she wouldn’t need her super official attire, since she’d be on comms. Bad news is, she’s never worked with Sharon’s team before and that made her nervous.

Team Handsome, as the SHIELD staff called them behind their backs, was quite famous. Understandably so too, as its members were Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson and James Barnes. Charlie always thought they went on the coolest missions. Dangerous, yes, but also very cool, if you ask her. In comparison, her own team only went on very small missions that definitely didn’t ever make the news. She didn’t mind though, at least she could go out shopping without paparazzi chasing her down the street.

Agent 14, as she was professionally known, made her way to the Mission Communication Centre, large cup of coffee in hand, ready to work. She was actually glad Sharon had texted her, because she’d pick a mission over house chores any day.

“What are you doing here?” Ah. The ever so lovely Maria Hill. She was always present, in one way or another, if the Avengers were involved. Nothing made Charlie’s day like seeing her old mentor at 9 am. 

“Good morning to you too, Agent Hill. Agent 13 asked me to replace her on today’s mission.” Charlie sipped her coffee, trying to get her brain to work in full capacity.

“How so? Where’s 13?” Hill lifted an eyebrow in confusion. It was unusual for Sharon disappear like that, after all.

“Flu. Will be off for a few days, probably. Some nasty stuff.” Charlie shrugged and stepped closer to one of the desks, all of them covered with laptops, files and various other devices. 

“I wasn’t informed.” Maria looked her up and down. Charlie knew she wouldn’t scold her much. Agent Hill might look cold and scary, but everyone who knows her privately calls her Mama Hill. Sharon was probably still in trouble though. “A Level 6 Agent like yourself shouldn’t even be allowed in this room. There better be a lengthy explanation for this in my inbox." 

"I’m certain there is, Ma'am. Agent 13 doesn’t slack around even if she’s cuddle buddies with the toilet right now.” Charlie lowered her voice at that, to save Sharon some dignity in front of all the other Agents present, but a smile grew on her face. 

The smallest of smiles on Hill’s lips meant she wouldn’t protest any further.

Charlie huffed as she sat in the empty chair, absolutely hating how uncomfortable it was. She missed her little office. It was barely more than a cupboard, really, but at least her chair was comfortable and the desk wasn’t stained with coffee. 

“Alright, get started. Lift off in 10.” Maria said, looking around the room, making sure all staff was in their places. Charlie wondered why such an easy mission needed 10 more members of staff, but she guessed that’s how SHIELD’s new Alpha Team worked. Either way, it was her role to be the Team’s main “voice of reason”, as Sharon likes to call it.

Tapping a few buttons of the laptop in front of her, Charlie activated the camera feed on the jet. And there they were, the famous Alpha Team. She’s only ever seen them either on screens or from very far away. Despite working in such close proximity, their paths just never happened to cross.

She could see Captain America pacing around the jet, checking that all their equipment was in place and nothing was missing. Shar did say he gets nervous before missions. Sam Wilson was sat in the pilot’s seat, fiddling with buttons and switches, readying the jet for lift off. James Barnes was right behind him, looking like he would rather be back in his bed. Charlie couldn’t blame him, it was Sunday, and even with a job like theirs, Sunday just felt like a day one should be relaxing, not flying across the country with guns strapped to their backs.

“Lift off in 3!” One of the employees yelled from somewhere behind Charlie.

She put on the headset and switched the communication channel on. “Good morning, Alpha Team. This is Agent 14, I’ll be your coordinator today.” Charlie smiled as she saw surprise cross their faces.

“Agent 14? What about Sharon?” Steve asked, looking at Sam, as if he could give him an answer. _Of course, he’d be worried. They did have a Thing going on._

“Nothing to worry about, Captain Rogers. Just a simple case of the flu.” Charlie explained.

“If you’re our coordinator, shouldn’t you be sat next to Sam right now?” Barnes didn’t seem impressed at the whole situation. He might complain a lot, but he was used to working with Sharon.

“My Level 6 clearance and gorgeous eyes can only get me so far, Sergeant.” She heard Wilson snicker at that and saw Barnes freeze and look up at the camera for just a second. _Maybe she didn’t need to be nervous after all._ A message came up on the screen in front of her, informing her they are good to go. “Alright gentlemen, let’s get this party started, shall we? Mr Wilson, you have permission for lift off.”

Course was set for north Alaska, where an old Hydra archive has been recently located. Charlie was glad she got to stay back at the Compound and didn’t have to go up there. She absolutely hated the cold. She did feel bad for the Team though and decided to have the cafeteria prepare hot drinks and food for them when they are back.

“So tell us about yourself, Agent 14. I don’t think we’ve met before?” asked Sam after a few minutes of silent flight. Charlie always found pilots got chatty, even Natasha Romanoff did on the few occasions they had the pleasure working together. Must be a pilot thing.

“Oh, I’m just a simple girl, Mr Wilson. I like sunsets on the beach, mojitos and rocket launchers.” She was answered with Sam’s loud laughter and even a snicker from Barnes.

“You have a name, Agent? Kind of awkward calling you a number.” Sam smiled straight at the camera.

“It’s Charlotte Barton. Can call me Charlie, though.”

That caught Steve’s attention. “Barton? Are you Clint’s family?”

“Yeah, we’re cousins. I’m the prettier Barton though.” Another laugh from Sam. 

“And how do you know Sharon?” Steve asked when Sam had settled down.

“Sharon? We’ve been friends since the Academy. I was the devil on her shoulder, making sure she leaves the library at least once a week.” Charlie smiled at the memory. Good times.

“Don’t tell me you dragged Sharon to clubs and parties, or I’ll loose it.” Sam laughed. _Oh he liked the idea of Sharon Carter going wild in the club, huh? If only he knew._

“That’s classified.” She laughed. 

“Is that why you’re to replacing her today? Because you’re friends?” Steve could barely stop his curiosity at this point.

“That too. Sharon and I trust each other. We were partners for a while, before she got assigned to you. You’re welcome, by the way, I talked her into taking the job.”

The smile on Steve’s face told her everything she needed to know. _Ah, to be young and in love. Or..a hundred and in love?_

The rest of the flight was filled with more easy chatting, mostly Charlie and Sam, but with the occasional comment from the other two men. 

“Alright Angels, listen up. Just a reminder- get in, steal Hydra’s shit, get out. Preferably without any injuries. Our intel says the place has been abandoned for years, but I do advise some caution.” Charlie said minutes before the jet landed at the location.

“Angels?” Bucky definitely did not get that reference.

“Language, Agent.” said Steve at the same time.

“Please, Captain. You’ve been to _war _and expect me to believe _you _don’t swear? Don’t give me that.” That earned her a few snickers even amongst the staff surrounding her. 

Natasha had told her about the Language Incident and how it was one of the team’s favourite inside jokes. Still, to her, Steve just always seemed like the guy who pretends not to swear, but does so very often. “Also, Sergeant Barnes - I will have Sam make you watch a few cult movies as homework. Judging by the smile on his face, he knows exactly what I’m talking about.”

She didn’t even think twice about calling them Angels. She always called her team members her Angels and even if she was only temporarily working with Alpha Team, it just felt right, especially when she was just a mysterious voice in their ears.

“You got it, Charlie.” Sam laughed, knowing full well how unwilling Bucky was to watch any movie Sam tried to force on him. Did that ever stop Sam? Of course not.

“Put your earpieces in, gentlemen, I’m switching to individual communication mode.” she said as they started gathering their gear to exit the jet, which Sam had landed only a few paces away from the archive. “Sam, do you copy?” Charlie switched between channels. She liked this mode, very useful when the team had to split up.

“Gotcha, Charlie.” Sam already with his wings on, stepped out of the jet first.

“Captain, do you copy?”

“Hear you loud and clear, Agent.” Steve with his shield on his back was almost at the archive’s entrance already. Charlie wondered if it’s the long legs or the ridiculous muscles that helped him walk so fast. Probably both.

Last, she switched to Bucky’s channel. “Sergeant Barnes?”

“Copy.” Bucky decided he quite likes her voice in his ear. No need to mention it quite yet, though.

Charlie checked the initial scans of the facility and the area. She switched back to Steve’s channel. “Captain, all the scanners are showing zero threats. And as great as the tech is, keep your eyes wide open, just in case. You never know with Hydra.”

“Don’t I know.” Charlie knew the frustration in his voice was directed more at Hydra’s unpredictability than herself. “What’s our orders if we come across enemies?”

“Uh, shoot them in the legs.” Steve laughed, relaxing slightly. 

The intel was indeed correct. The archive was nothing but piles of dust and old files, obviously abandoned for many years. Some ancient devices, some Charlie only recognises from old books in electronics classes at the Academy. Charlotte did wonder why even bother with all that old stuff, but then again, since Director Fury began rebuilding Shield, he made sure not to leave a stone unturned. Any traces of Hydra were looked into, keeping the agents very busy. And now that all the Hydra rats have been chased away from the organisation, the number of agents available was considerably smaller. Even Charlie’s “beginners” team had to take care of some smaller Hydra bases.

“I’ve got some weapons here.” Bucky’s voice came in through the comms, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Show me.” Bucky liked how low her voice got when she was intrigued. A video feed from Bucky’s body camera popped up on Charlie’s laptop. A stack of crates was there, old rifles stacked inside the one Bucky had opened. 

“Old stuff, probably from the 50s. Nothing special.” Bucky murmured, looking around. 

“Still, better to take their toys away before they decide to play with them again. Get Captain to help you move it all to the jet. Be careful, don’t want nothing exploding in your faces.” It would be a shame, they’re quite nice faces. “Sam, got something cool over there?”

“Nah, pile of old documents. Most of it in russian and german, some in languages i don’t recognise.” She could see Sam looking through boxes of files, puffs of dust floating in the air with his every movement.

“The translation teams will be very happy about it. Okay, pack it all up on the jet. Let me know if you find something interesting.” She leaned back in her chair, sipping the remains of her now cold coffee, carefully watching the video feeds from the three men. There was nothing more than dust and dirt there. Boring. The agents around her took care of scanning for any threats in the area, as well as uninvited visitors. As far as she could see, those were mostly some birds. 

Once all material was safely packed away on the jet, the archive’s entrance was sealed and the team was on their way back to the Compound.

“Gotta say, Charlie, you’re a good coordinator. A nice change from Sharon’s and Steve’s awkward flirting.” Chatty Sam was back and Steve was not happy about it.

“We’re not awkward…” Steve’s voice was almost a whine. Charlie was sure the poor guy got teased a lot about that. She wondered if he was aware that Sharon never shuts up about him.

Bucky snorted. “Yes you are, you’re both terrible.” Gaining a deadly glare from the Captain, Bucky shot him a grin. Charlie was sure it was the best thing she saw all day. 

“So, Charlie, you gonna coordinate us on any other missions?” Sam cut in before any bickering could start.

“Nah, Sharon said you don’t have any more missions scheduled for the next few days and she should be back soon anyway. I’ll just go back to my team.” She was already working on her report from the mission. She refused to spend the rest of her peaceful Sunday writing reports.

“You have your own team?” Bucky sounded disappointed. _Was Steve and Sharon’s flirting really that bad?_

“Yep. We like to call ourselves Team Awesome.” She smiled at the thought of her team. They were a pain in the ass but she couldn’t deny that they were her favourite people in the Compound.

“Team Awesome, huh? Gotta meet up sometime. We don’t get to see the other Avengers much these days.” Charlie was surprised to hear Steve suggest that. Her dumb jokes turned out to be a great ice-breaker, after all. He was right though, this was a very busy period for the Avengers and SHIELD. Rebuilding the organisation and taking care of any threats kept them all on their toes.

“Sure. In the meantime, I’ve had some food prepared for you guys in the cafeteria, to warm you up after Alaska. I’ll see you around, Angels!” The jet was only minutes from the compound, which meant the mission was over and she had to inevitably do those house chores after all.

A cheerful chorus of “Bye, Charlie!” was the last thing she heard before the communication channels were switched off and she left the Centre. She would definitely have to bully Sharon into a get-together.

Charlie wanted to see that cute grin on Bucky’s face again.


	2. Simulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alpha Team finally meets Charlie and her Angels. Shenanigans in the fight simulator ensue.

“Angels, are you ready?” Charlie’s voice was low giddy in their earpieces. The others answered with whispered _Yes’s_. “Attack!”

Gunshots went off from both the Avengers and their opponents. _Some nasty Hydra bastards_, one of the boys called them. The battlefield stretching out before them a Hell of smoke and fire. 

Scott Lang was shifting between different sizes, using them to his advantage to either crush or avoid opponents. Sometimes, when he was Big Guy, Spiderman would use his arm to sling off on his webs, or jump straight on the oncoming attackers.

Pietro was literally everywhere. Charlie stopped even trying to keep up with him. She knew that as long as his snarky comments or laughter could be heard over the comms, he was fine. His sister on the other hand, stood in the middle of the field, using her powers to fight the threat surrounding her.

The Simulation Room in the Avengers Compound was just magnificent. Charlie was like a kid in a candy store every time she stepped inside the massive room.

It was a building of its own, really, situated right next to the multi-storey Training Facilities. Hard foam props and obstacles were available to be stacked however the users wished to, as well as a selection of laser guns, hard foam and digital weapons.

The software was exceptional too, designed by Tony Stark himself, based on his B.A.R.F. technology. He had collaborated with multiple SHIELD techies and scientists to create a selection of programs, which using multiple screens, projectors and even drones, put the trainees in all sorts of situations. From burning buildings, to underground enemy facilities and even alien invasions. Charlie was not a fan of the latter, though.

What she did enjoy was the nice coffee nook in the corner of the control room, where she was currently sat, cup of earl grey in hand, feet propped up on the panel. Comfy chair, worthy of the _Charlie Stamp of Approval_. She observed her team through the glass window and a few screens, each programmed to follow a specific member of the team. 

_Team Awesome indeed_.

A sudden _crash _interrupted her peaceful moment and she sat up. Peter slipped while trying to jump off Scott, fell on the floor, hitting some of the foam obstacles on the field with a shocked _WHOA!_

And so the chain reaction started. 

In his concern about Peter, Scott got distracted and messed up his size, shrinking to the height of a 10 year old child, then getting “shot”. Pietro, in an attempt to avoid running into Scott, tripped on one of the obstacles Peter knocked over, sending him flying straight into Wanda, both of them falling to the floor while swearing loudly in their mother tongue. 

“Oh my _God_…” Charlie rested her elbows on the panel, her face in her palms.

“That was dramatic.” Sharon’s voice filled the control room, her amusement barely contained.

“Hi, Sharon.” Charlie sighed, looking up at her team again, which was trying to get back on their feet, fiercely bickering with each other. A few taps on the touchscreen and the simulation was switched off, only grey foam squares scattered around the room still visible. 

“This their first time in the simulator?” Charlie shook her head sadly while Sharon had a look at the repeating footage of the fight before the crash. “They’re quite good. Just need a bit more practice.” She smiled down at Charlie in encouragement.

“I know, I know. They’re a good team. It’s just that when they mess up, they mess up as a team as well. Kinda hard to keep at least one person concentrated.” Charlie sighed again. Need to book more training sessions in here. “Brought your boys in for training?” She could see Sam waving at her from behind the glass door, which led to the observation room, massive smile on his face.

“Yeah, they haven’t tried the simulator yet. And you know what massive nerds Steve and Bucky are.” Sharon laughed. “Who am I to keep them away from cool tech?" 

"True, you have no right.” Charlie did indeed know about the nerd factor in Alpha Team. 

Sam told her all about it, back when she coordinated them some months earlier. He had spent the better part of an hour telling her how the two super soldiers struggled with even the microwave at the beginning. Turns out, they were quick learners and God forbid they were left unsupervised with any gadgets. Steve was more into vehicles and spy stuff, whereas Bucky seemed to be more of a space and weapons nerd. Sam had also told her the story of how Bucky spent ages in Wakanda, where he learned how to fix his own arm. Sam said Bucky was very protective of his vibranium arm and only him and princess Shuri were allowed to touch it. Charlie couldn’t blame him, it was a very, _very _nice arm. 

“Have a look through the program catalogue and I’ll go talk to my kids, okay?” Charlie moved towards the door, ready to lecture the hell out of her Angels. 

But to get to the training floor, she had to walk through the observation room, where three very excited, very tall men were waiting to finally meet her in person.

“Good morning, Charlie!” _They are quite loud, aren’t they?_

“Gentlemen, glad to finally meet you!” She smiled up at all three of them as she shook their hands. _Why are they all so tall?_

“That your team in there?” Sam nodded his head towards the glass window looking out on the still bickering group.

“Yep. Team Awesome.” She looked over at them, nodding. 

“Sharon said you train beginners. I get Peter and the Maximoffs, but how come Scott Lang is here?” Steve would never call Scott a beginner after what he pulled in Berlin. He still got chills when he recalled the massive man, kicking trucks and planes around like they were just toys.

“Well, he has the brains and skills, he just needs to get used to working in a team like ours. Ya know, all the attack formations and everything. He catches on so fast though, I can totally see him being transferred to a higher level team soon.” Charlie saw them nod in understanding as she slipped through the door to the training room. 

Bucky watched Charlie walk out of the observation room and over to her team, he couldn’t help but think of how she sounded like a proud mother just then. _Sweet_.

“Please stop fighting, and gather ‘round.” Charlie called out to the others, as Sharon pulled Steve inside the control room to help her choose a training program.

“It was Peter’s fault!” exclaimed Pietro, the sour loser of the bunch. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Peter lowering his head in shame.

“No, no, it was nobody’s fault. Peter lost his balance, it happens.” She turned to the youngest member of the team. “Peter, are you okay? Did you get hurt?" 

"No, Miss Barton, I fell on the foam thingies. They softened the fall.” Peter smiled up at her, moving his arms around to show he didn’t feel any pain anywhere.

“Good, that’s great. How about you, Wanda? Took quite a hit there.” The other girl was frowning at her brother, who definitely didn’t fear her enough.

“I’m okay. I might have some bruises though.” She hissed, pinching her Pietro’s side, who squeaked and jumped away.

Last, Charlotte turned to Scott, whose head was roughly at her chest level, and was fiddling with the control screen on his arm. “What’s up, Scotty?”

“I’m trying to fix it, gimme a moment.” the man grumbled.

She put her hands on her hips and looked them all up and down. “While you do that, Scott, let’s discuss this session." 

She was their team leader first, and friend second. Getting back to business, Charlie released her critique on them. "First of all, Pietro, you need to be more aware of your surrounding so you don’t trip over stuff and collide into people. We need to minimise the injuries inflicted by our own team, alright?” Pietro was obviously feeling guilty of his behaviour, shifting from foot to foot, avoiding Charlie’s eyes. 

Her voice softened immediately, as she really couldn’t stay mad at any of them for longer than a few seconds. “Please, be more careful, Pietro, I don’t wanna see you getting hurt because of carelessness.” And so, his part of the scolding was over. He mumbled a quiet Sorry and took a step back, as if to escape Charlie’s attention.

“Peter, you did great but you need to try being a bit faster with your responses. Had you used your webs to catch onto something, you wouldn’t have crash landed. Next time, we’ll practice your reflexes more, okay? Get that Peter Tingle on full speed.” She smirked at the boy, who already started grumbling at the phrase his Aunt had accidentally let slip in front of Charlie once.

“As for Wanda, you were doing great until you got knocked over.” Charlie sent her a wink, making the girl giggle. “How’s your powers training going? Getting along with Strange?” Seeing as Wanda’s powers were quite unique, she sometimes had special training sessions in the New York Sanctum. 

“He’s an ass.” Wanda complained, her accent just a bit thicker whenever she swore.

“Well, we can always practice on our own, and whenever Thor and Loki decide to grace us with their presence, I’ll see if I can arrange for them to train with you a bit. How does that sound?” Charlie had worked with the Asgardian brothers a couple of times, and had to admit bribery was the best way to get either of them to do anything.

“Better.” Wanda nodded.

Sam and Bucky have been observing the whole conversation from the entrance. They were both surprised how gentle Charlie was with her team, despite looking completely defeated earlier.

“She’s… quite sweet, isn’t she?” Sam grinned. Bucky squinted at Sam, not pleased at all with the fondness in his voice. 

He had to admit, she was indeed sweet. Most agents Bucky has seen training other teams were quite harsh with their comments. Even Sharon got under his skin sometimes.

“AHA!” Scott yelled when he finally managed to return to his regular size.

“Ah, welcome back, Scotty. My only advice to you is to please do something with your tech, because it’s been messing up a lot lately. Want me to hook you up with Tony?”

“To- MR STARK?! Charlie that’s–" 

"Hey, Charlie, you gonna get off that field so we can train or what?” Sam interrupted Scott’s sputtering, him and Bucky already putting in their earpieces. 

“Actually, I have an idea!” Sharon’s voice came from the speakers before Charlie could react in any way. “How about we all train together?”

_Huh. Not a bad idea._ “Okay, let’s decide on teams!” She shot a thumbs up towards the control room.

Shortly after, Steve joined the rest of them on the field, his gear on as well. “There’s nine of us, so Sharon decided to stay on controls.”

"Okay, yeah, so who picks?” Charlie nodded as she put in the earpiece Steve brought for her.

“I think the ladies should take their picks, Steve.” Sharon said, through the earpieces this time.

“Oh, I like this.” Wanda grinned. “Can I pick first?”

“Go ahead.” Steve smiled at her, and Charlie knew. 

“I pick Captain Rogers.” Wanda’s grin only grew. Duh. Wanda may have had a teeny tiny crush on Captain Handsome, just like the rest of planet Earth. 

“Barnes.” _Hey, one super soldier per team is fair, right?_ Bucky walked over to Charlie, completely ignoring the smirk on Sam’s face.

Wanda went on to pick Scott and Sam, leaving Charlotte with Pietro and Peter. This would be interesting.

“Got a team name, Char?” Sharon could barely stop the excitement from seeping through her voice. _Nothing like a good fight to please that one._

“Hm, what?”

“Come on, 14, I know you love team names. Hit it." 

Charlie looked at her temporary teammates. Pietro and Peter bickering again about the earlier incident, then at Bucky who was just standing there, examining his fake gun as if it offended him just by being fake. "Team Cuties.”

That earned a laugh from Steve and Sam, pulling Bucky’s attention away from the weird fake gun. _Cuties_?

“We’ll be Team Crazies, then.” decided Wanda, gaining a few groans of disagreement. Those were quickly silenced with a pair of glowing red eyes.

“Get ready.” Sharon was already activating the program. Charlie motioned for both groups to gather in the corner. There were multiple simulations Sharon could’ve gone for, and Charlie had no way of knowing which one she chose. She was nervous, but couldn’t help but be delighted to participate instead of coordinating the fight.

“Since Alpha Team hasn’t used the Simulator yet, lemme explain real quick. The training programs usually have a specific goal. Evacuate citizens, kill the baddies, make something explode and so on.” Charlie had to admit it was absolutely wild to have Steve Rogers looking at her like she was the biggest mastermind in the world. One thing she definitely noticed about the man, was that he always showed the utmost respect to the people around him, whether they outranked him or not. “So, since we don’t know what Sharon throws at us, I suggest we start by taking cover and assessing the situation.”

“Figure out what’s the goal and how to get to it.” The Captain nodded.

“Exactly. Otherwise, we’ll be running around like headless chickens.”

The eight of them hid behind some stacks of foam boxes and so it begun. 

Sharon ended up going for the Evil Alien Invasion, for which Charlie shoot her a look. She always was a_ Go Big Or Go Home_ kind of person. Holograms of truly scary aliens filled the room, looking for a fight to pick.

Charlie has never seen creatures like these. They didn’t really look like the Chitauri she’s seen on TV, they didn’t have any armor. They looked like weird dogs. Or horses. Some of them on two legs, some on four or more. Dog-horses? Charlie was not a fan either way.

“Peter, give me some air action.” Charlie ordered, before motioning Bucky to follow her behind another stack of foam boxes, a bit further into the field.

“I’m on it.” the boy practically screamed as he avoided an alien that launched in his direction, but then used his web to get above the threat. Wanda used her powers to push away more of the creatures who were stalking over in her direction.

“Pietro, go shoot some things, get them moving so we can see what their goal is.” Pietro was already running around at ridiculous speeds before she even finished her sentence, shooting aliens left and right, throwing foam props at them.

Crouching behind the boxes, Charlotte poked her head out. They could spend hours shooting aliens and the simulator would just create more. _There needs to be a way to win the game_.

“Got a plan already?” Bucky’s whisper in her ear startled her. This was the closest they’ve ever been to each other and it was sort of unnerving.

“Well, I’m looking for maybe a source of the attack but they’re crawling all over the place, so I’m not sure….” she trailed off, still looking around and very intently trying to ignore the warm hand on her shoulder as Bucky peeked out from behind the boxes as well.

"Some of the aliens seem to be coming from that direction-” Bucky pointed at the far left corner of the field “-maybe there’s something there?”

“Hm, there aren’t many hiding spots that way. We’ll have to fight our way through if we wanna get there.” Charlie twisted around, almost bumping into Bucky, to locate the rest of the Cuties. She spotted them aiding Wanda’s group not far from her.

“Spidey, Pietro, come in, I’ve got a plan.” Charlie hoped they weren’t distracted enough to ignore her voice over the comms.

“Where are you?” Pietro lost his concentration to look around for her and got punched by a fake alien.

“Boys, come over to the boxes to your right. Try not to lead any aliens here.” She and Bucky watched the other two fighting their way towards them. She was quite impressed by how good Peter’s aim with the laser guns was. Apparently the weekly trips to the arcade were indeed good practice.

“So what’s the plan, Miss Barton?” Peter whispered, trying to catch his breath, Pietro panting next to him. Bucky patted Peter’s shoulder with a small smile. _Looks just like Steve back in the day_.

“Sergeant Barnes noticed some aliens come from that corner over there. If we can get there and shoot whatever’s there, we might win the game. I need you two to be our backup.” Charlie was waving her hands quickly in front of their faces, trying to cool them down before jumping back into action.

“Yeah.. yeah, let’s do that.” Peter was already getting up. It was crazy how much fight he had in him. No wonder he was Stark’s protege. Charlie pushed him back down, demanding he rests a bit longer.

“Wanda, do you copy?” 14 touched her earpiece to communicate with the second group.

“Yes. What’s the plan?” she could barely make out Wanda’s voice through the aliens’ snarling.

“We are going for the left corner, we’ll try to blow some stuff up. I need you to distract as many aliens as you can away from us. Can you do that?”

“Well, the Captain is about to start a tornado with his shield over here so I think we’ll manage.” the girl laughed. 

After a moment, when the path seemed to clear up for them, Charlie led the other three out of their hiding spot. They ran towards their target, fighting nail and tooth with whatever creature came at them. Sharon had definitely chosen the highest difficulty level, because Charlie could see even Bucky was starting to sweat from the effort it took to fight.

As Charlie and Bucky neared the corner he’d pointed out, they noticed there was indeed something there. A wide portal, red sparks surrounding it and more aliens storming through. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Pietro and Peter fighting off some six-legged creatures. _She’s had enough of these damn aliens_.

“Bucky, cover me.” She rooted herself in place, as Bucky moved closer, shooting anything that came too close. As she took aim, it struck him. That was the first time she’d called him Bucky and not Sergeant. _That’s nice_.

Just as she was about to pull the trigger and she felt a warm, strong arm wrap around her waist and yank her to the side. Only half a second later, a massive monster flew by, and it would’ve definitely crashed straight into her if Bucky, as she just realised, hadn’t pulled her away.

Something didn’t work out with that rescue though, because Bucky managed to slip and fall flat on his back, pulling Charlie with him, who landed on her butt with a surprised _huff_, right between his legs.

“Thanks, Sergeant.” she tucked her hair behind her ears in hopes of hiding the blush that was definitely there. Those blue eyes are ridiculous!

“You’re welcome, Agent.” Bucky grinned at her. _Oh no. She’s cute_. Sitting up, he grabbed his gun again.

Suddenly, Sam landed next to them and pulled Charlie to her feet. “More shooting, less flirting, you two.” Charlie wished that alien had ran straight into her after all.

Bucky scrambled to his feet, picking up Charlie’s gun and handing it to her. Charlie pretended not to see the faintest of blushes on his face. _Whoever had told her this guy is scary, was obviously a fool_.

She switched her comms back on. “Everyone, can we please finish this?“

Pietro, Sam and Peter busied themselves with fighting off the aliens who were now trying to protect the portal. Scott shifted to Big Guy, the ground shaking under their feet. Bucky and Charlie did their best to aim in the center of the portal which was not an easy task with the commotion surrounding it.

Charlie heard Wanda and Steve behind them and suddenly Steve’s shield flew past her head with a whoosh and hit the portal right in the center.

Everything disappeared at once- the battlefield, the creatures, the damn sparkly portal. All that was left, was Steve’s shield etched deep into the wall.

“Oh, you’re gonna be in trouble for that, buddy.” Scott’s voice boomed above them.

"Congrats, you just stopped an invasion!” Sharon announced over the speakers. Pietro and Peter yelling happily in response and high-fiving each other. Steve pulled his shield from the wall with a sigh. He’ll never hear the end of it from Tony. 

While the others immediately moved back towards the control room and exit, Charlie slid to the floor, leaning back on her arms. She was beat.

Bucky leaned down to her eye level with a smirk.“You okay down there?”

“I don’t like aliens.” the girl huffed. “I don’t like _aliens_, Sharon!” she yelled towards the control room.

“They didn’t like you either, Char! Good thing you had Bucky to save your ass!” Sharon laughed, a wild blush spreading on Charlie’s face. 

_A murder will happen tonight_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely LOVED writing the fight scene in this chapter!


	3. Master Chef

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Charlie get to know each other a bit better.

“Before we start, I’d like to announce that I can’t believe this is a real mission and I feel like Lizzie McGuire’s cartoon persona will jump out and slap me back to reality any second now.” Charlie entered the briefing room, where everyone was gathered, holding a stack of folders in her hands. 

“I’m not sure if I should be worried or not.” Wanda mumbled, eyeing the suspicious documents. 

“Who even remembers Lizzie McGuire?” Peter laughed.

“_Excuse me_? I take huge offence in that comment, Mr Parker. Lizzie McGuire is a classic.” Charlie handed out the mission folders around the table and took a seat. “Long story short, we’re going to school. Boss, you have the mic.” She nodded at Sharon, who was the head of this mission.

Even though usually it was Charlie who’s the boss, in this case, Team Awesome was only assisting. She was proud of her position as a team leader, but she was happy to hand over the responsibility to someone else from time to time. Sure, she’d still keep an eye on her people, but it was Sharon who was in charge. Considering their history though, Sharon still considered Charlie her right hand, even if the rest of Alpha Team outranked her.

An echo of groans resounded around the room.

"Switzerland?” Pietro lifted his eyebrow at the first page. 

“Yes.” Sharon spoke up from where she was setting up a whiteboard. Charlie took a mental note to make fun of her for that later. “Prestigious college for rich kids. Families of politicians, royals, generally rich people. There are suspicions that Hydra is using that place to groom students to join their ranks and use them to get to their families’ resources. ” She explained turning around to look through her own stack of documents, multiple pictures spilling out from between the pages.

“So what, the teachers are in on it?” Scott lifted a few pictures showing the headmistress chatting with other teachers. 

Charlie shrugged. “We don’t know for sure who’s involved or what exactly is going on. What we know is that those are innocent kids, and Fury wants Hydra to, quote, fuck off.” Steve shot her a look and she stuck out her tongue at him.

“So what do we do, Miss Carter?” Peter seemed the least bothered by the mission. Probably because he was still in school himself, going to another school just wasn’t that big of a deal.

Sharon started scribbling on the whiteboard behind her, putting some basic details on display. Charlie did not even try to decipher her writing, and wondered why, _oh why_ can’t Sharon use the holo screens like a normal person. She grunted under her breath in frustration and heard Bucky chuckle from beside her. 

“We go undercover.” Sharon whipped back around to face the two teams. “We don’t have enough intel to storm in and start arresting people, so we need to investigate first. The twins and Peter will go in a students. I’ve had you enrolled in different classes already. Make some friends, chat people up, keep your eyes open.” Sharon pulled out a few sheets of paper out of her folder and passed it to Wanda. “Your aliases.”

"Can I be something other than a teacher? I do that every day. Gimme something fun.” Charlie shot her a pleading smile.

“Okay, you’ll be in the cafeteria then.” Sharon smirked back. 

“Wait– Shar, _no_, I can’t cook!” Laughter erupted around the room at Charlie’s panicked tone. “No, seriously, if you put me there, the only person getting arrested will be _me_. For poisoning an entire campus!" 

"Which is why Sergeant Barnes will go with you.” the other agent shrugged, as if playing canteen ladies with an ex-assassin is the most normal thing in the world. 

“_What_?!” Charlie and Bucky stared at Sharon then at each other, then back at Sharon again, who was fiddling with her whiteboard marker and watching their reaction. 

“Listen, Bucky can cook, he’ll help you out. As for your actual assignment - you’ll plant cameras and some mics around the canteen so that we’ve got ground covered there as well.” Sharon went on to explain. 

“Why the canteen, though?” Scott asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. 

“People get chatty at lunch break.” Steve said. “What about the rest of us?”

“We go in as substitute teachers. Sam will do PE, Scott will do Physics, Steve - World War History.”

“Why?” Steve huffed.

“You were _literally _there, Steven.” Sharon shot him a look Charlie was very happy to not be the receiver of. “I’m going in as the German language professor.” She finished.

Sam perked up at that. “Wait, you speak German?” 

“Sam, what do you think I was doing while you and Steve were playing hide and seek with Bucky a few years back?” He shrugged “I was working in Berlin. _Of course_ I speak German.” Sharon went back to the board to scribble some more details on it. Charlie turned around just in time to see Sam and Bucky exchange confused looks.

_Someone’s in a mood_, Charlie thought. She might have to cancel the whiteboard related teasing after all.

After the meeting was over, both teams were instructed to pack the necessities and be ready to leave the next day. While Charlie’s team and Sharon quickly left the room, she stayed with the remaining men. 

“So… what’s with Sharon?” She asked after closing the door. The others looked hesitant to answer. “Listen, if you don’t tell me, I’ll ask her myself anyway. But she might not chew my head off if I go in prepared though.”

“Steve and her got in a fight.” Sam blurted out, earning a glare from the blond.

“Professional fight or couple’s fight?” Charlie leaned against the table with her hip, arms crossed on her chest.

“We’re- we’re not a _couple_.” Steve sputtered.

“He jumped off a bridge.” Bucky clarified, as he was playing with the corner of his folder. Definitely not trying to avoid looking at Charlie, who was extremely close to him now. Nope, not at all.

“He did _what _now?!” She choked out. “Why would you do that?!”

“Well, the guy we were chasing on our last mission jumped off the bridge to get on his boat and I–” Steve started explaining but was interrupted by Charlie’s chuckle.

“Last time I heard, Rogers, jumping off stuff was one of your specialties. I don’t see why Sharon would even be phased by it.” She sat back down on her chair and rocked herself from side to side, clearly amused.

“I may have had a very important flashdrive in my pocket.” The Captain went on.

“And he might have missed the ship and fell straight in the water.” Bucky added, making Charlie laugh so hard she had to cover her mouth with her hand to calm down. Bucky’s eyes widened, pleased with himself that he managed to make her laugh.

“Oh Rogers, you human disaster. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone loses important data, so don’t beat yourself up for it. She’ll get over it. You can buy her some flowers to speed up the process, though.” She stood up and went for the door. “She likes irises!” She called over her shoulder and disappeared down the corridor.

_ _ _ _

“What are you doing?” Charlie’s voice came from the door.

Bucky spun around, startled, batter covered spoon still in hand. “Brownies.” He pointed at the bowl in front of him.

At that she snorted. “You’re making brownies at 1 am? Are you stress baking?”

“No, Sam and Sharon were complaining that the granola bars we sell are trash and they want brownies.” He shrugged. “By the time they show up for the briefing, I should have some ready.”

It’s been a week since they arrived to the Swiss college they were investigating. Bucky and Charlie didn’t have much luck collecting intel in the cafeteria so far, but the others already had some leads they’ve been following.

It’s become a routine of theirs that they meet in the kitchen every night at 2 am sharp, to exchange information and snack on whatever was left from the day. That was only the routine for the older members of their group though, as the ones posing as students had to follow the dorms’ curfew. Charlie felt bad for them, especially when she was snacking on spicy prawns or caramel tarts. Absolutely _terrible_, that’s how she felt.

And since she didn’t have much else to do, Charlie found herself a new mission. Her target? Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.

That saying that goes “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”? It must’ve been about him. Before she’s met the man, all she’s heard about him was how scary, lethal and grumpy he was. But with each day spent with him, she’d realise just how interesting he was.

Yeah, he did get grumpy. When Scott said a terrible pun, or when Sam was teasing him, or when Steve got fussy. He got the most grumpy when Sharon would challenge him to a game of cards, which he would always lose. He was a good player, but Sharon was better and he hated it.

As for the scary part- biggest lie ever told. Once he’s had his breakfast, Charlie thought he was the cutest person alive. He’d joke around, tell her stories, tell her all about whatever dumb bickering fest he and Sam had gotten into or an interesting article he’d read.

Charlie couldn’t get enough of his stories, as each one seemed to unearth another secret facet of his personality. Today, she’d decided to find out how did he come to be Alpha Team’s designated chef.

“So how come you know how to cook? No offence, but you don’t strike me as the chef type.” She stole a handful of chocolate chips before he could swat her away and took her usual spot on top of the metal table in the middle of the kitchen.

He shrugged again. “Had to learn if I wanted to eat properly. When I was on the run, I mean.” He poured the chocolate chips in the batter before Charlie could even think of stealing more. He always had to keep an eye on that ingredient thief. “I would buy the odd cooking book here and there and teach myself.”

“Didn’t you know how to make food at all when you were the Soldat?”

“Wasn’t necessary. They’d give me food when I came back from whatever task I was given.” He shrugged. Charlie decided not press that matter any further, as she knew Bucky didn’t like to talk much about his time in Hydra.

She munched on a chip until it was completely melted in her mouth and decided to go back to her task for the night. “So what kind of food do you like to cook?”

He huffed, as if it was the most loaded question he’s ever been asked. It made Charlie smile how invested he could get when it came to cooking. “All sorts. I moved around a lot, so I’d try recipes from different countries. I like italian and romanian a lot.” He paused to pour the finished batter between a couple of shallow trays. “Since I came to the Compound, I’ve been trying to make stuff I remember my ma making. Hard to get it just right though.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’re the designated cook of the team. Why does Sam call you Buck Ramsey though?” She mumbled through a mouthfull of chocolate.

“Because he’s a literal disaster in the kitchen and he doesn’t like when I’m honest about it.” Bucky snickered, putting the finished trays in the oven.

“How come _you _don’t know how to cook? I’m sure Sharon once mentioned they taught that at the Academy.” He spoke again after a moment, taking a seat on top of the counter opposite from where Charlie was now spread across the table, as if it was the most comfortable of beds.

She turned her head towards him, big grin on her face. “I ditched those classes.” She wiggled on top of the table, making herself comfortable, and looked up at the ceiling. “My parents used to own a restaurant in our hometown. They were amazing cooks, but I guess I inherited more of the fighter gene than the chef gene.”

“Used to?”

She cleared her throat. “Dad died right before I joined the Academy and mom is just too old to run a business on her own.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” He hoped he didn’t hit a sensitive topic. He didn’t want to ruin the playful mood between them.

“It’s okay, it’s not that sad actually. I mean, yeah, it’s sad, because he’s dead, but it wasn’t tragic. He’s always had heart problems and died in his sleep.” She sat up. “He died as an old, happy man.” Charlie smiled at him in reassurance. Bucky’s face was pulled into a frown and she worried, that maybe mentioning her dad’s death was a bad move.

“What about your mom?” He asked after a moment. Charlie had half a mind to hop off the table and physically pull the corners of his lips out of that frown.

“Oh, she still cooks. She lives with one of my aunts and they spoil their entire neighbourhood _rotten_.” She laughed at the thought of her mom. Stubborn, that one. Could barely move around without her cane but no one could ever make her sit still.

“She sounds like a lovely woman.” A tiny smile appeared on Bucky’s lips and Charlie felt relieved to see it. She hated seeing Bucky sad.

“Maybe I’ll let you meet her one day.” She winked at him and laughed when his cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink.

By the time the brownies were baked, chilled and cut, everyone had made they way to the kitchen. Turns out there were some shady documents in the archive, which Sharon has made copies of and was in the process of analysing. The rest didn’t have much luck, since the rest of the college staff was unwilling to share any dirty secrets with newcomers. 

Charlie would probably be angry at the mission dragging out so much, but with her new hobby of interrogating Bucky every night, she didn’t mind that much.

_ _ _ _

While Bucky was a magician with food, he found out Charlie’s specialty was drinks. She liked to have a drink once in a while, and whenever she did, she’d make some weird cocktail Bucky was sure she made up on the spot. Whenever he’d ask her what happened to mojitos, she’d say she likes to experiment.

He himself usually went for a glass of whisky, but one night Charlie insisted on making him something. 

“Why can’t I just have my whisky? ‘S nothing wrong with it.” Bucky whined.

“Just trust me this once, and let me make you something. I know the perfect drink for you.” There’s a glint of mischief in her eyes, which made Bucky nervous. He only hoped it wouldn’t be one of her extremely sweet and fruity cocktails. He had a sweet tooth, but those were too much even for him.

He watched her mix a dark liquor with a shot of vodka, pour it in a small glass and top the mix with some cream. He scrunched his face, not liking the idea of vodka and cream together. 

“What’s that?” He eyed the glass suspiciously.

She bit her lip, fighting a smile. “A White Russian.”

He threw a cloth at her, but she ducked and ran out off with a giggle.

_ _ _ _

“You doing okay over there?” Bucky called over from the stove, where he was frying some vegetables, the smell making Charlotte drool.

“I still have all my fingers.” She answered, but something in her tone made Bucky set the pan aside and walk over to check. They ran out of band-aids that morning and he really didn’t want her to get hurt. _Again_.

He leaned over her shoulder to look where she was slowly chopping up some carrots. Charlie bit her lip to suppress the shudder that almost went through her. She was already struggling with the task he’d given her and he’d just made it even more difficult. 

She’s made it crystal clear from day one, that she was perfectly capable of burning water. He’s been ever so helpful, but he was also a butt about it. She could tell he loved teasing her for her lack of culinary skills.

“You know, we need those carrots for today.” She didn’t even have to look at him, she could hear his smirk in his voice.

She scoffed at his teasing. “Excuse me, Mr Ramsey, what do you suggest I do? If I go faster, I’ll definitely cut myself. You don’t want any blood in your fancy stew, now do you?”

It took all of Bucky’s self control not to reach up and smooth out the little wrinkle that appeared between her brows when Charlie was frustrated. He couldn’t help but chuckle, though. Over the last few days it’s become increasingly difficult to ignore how adorable she could be.

And despite being quite short tempered in the kitchen, Bucky realised that he always managed to find all the patience in the world when it came to teaching Charlie. She huffed, puffed and complained, she even stomped her foot a few times when she couldn’t get something right. But every time he explained anything to her, she made this face that was full of wonder and curiosity, that made him forget that she was a highly trained agent or that they were currently on a mission.

“Okay. Look.” He reached his arms around her and put his hands on hers, adjusting her position and hold on the knife a bit. “If you hold it like this, it’s safer and you can go a bit faster.”

Charlie swore her knees shook the moment she felt Bucky’s chest touch her back. How was it possible for a person to be that warm? Wasn’t he supposed to be the Winter Soldier? _More like Furnace Soldier_, she thought as she watched him demonstrate how she should be cutting. 

And she should definitely be paying more attention to that than how soft his hair felt when it brushed against her cheek. Whenever they were in the kitchen, he wore his hair in a small bun, which she found utterly adorable, but there was that one lock of hair that just refused to stay put and fell on his face. She itched to just reach her hand up and push it behind his ear. 

“Got it?” Bucky pulled her out of her very serious thoughts regarding his hair.

“Uh, yeah, I think so.” She cleared her throat, as her voice was way too high for her liking. “Yeah. Thanks.” She almost whined when he took a step back to return to what he was doing. 

Charlie hated to admit just how very frustrated this man had her and she was pretty sure she was developing several addictions at this point.

She was definitely developing one for his ridiculously good brownies. Maybe one for the feeling on his warm hands on hers as well, whenever he would help her. 

She noticed he really didn’t mind touching her and she did not complain. Did she purposely mess up more than necessary just so he can come close and show her the right way again? _Maybe_, but there were no witnesses and therefore she could not be proven guilty of anything.

_ _ _ _ 

“So, guys, how do you feel about this being out last night here?” Sharon asked between bites of lobster meat that Charlie had served her. 

Their mission had lasted barely two months, what with Sharon and Steve basically combing through archives and servers, as well as the youngsters finding out exactly who was responsible for picking out students to join Hydra’s ranks.

“Eh, you know, the two of us were pretty much useless anyway. I mean, we made some crazy good food, but mission-wise? Useless.” Charlie climbed on top of her favourite metal table. She sat there, cross legged, snacking on a big plate of fries she was sharing with Sam.

“Well, I did hope you’d catch at least one conversation regarding the matter. I thought the kids would at least talk about it.” Sharon shrugged, just as Scott and Steve appeared in the kitchen.

“Hey there, what are we eating for the last supper?” Scott was always giddy to eat whatever Charlie and Bucky threw at him. He wasn’t a picky eater like some of the others.

“Got some lobster left if you want it.” Bucky said from his spot on top of the counter. Charlie found it very amusing that they both developed a habit of sitting on top of tables and counters. Sure, they had some stools around, but they were uncomfortable, so usually Charlie used them as step ladders.

“_Lobster_? You made lobster for lunch? In a school canteen?!” Scott sounded like he was seconds from dropping out of the Avengers and enrolling in the college.

Steve didn’t care for seafood, Charlie learned, so he invited himself to her and Sam’s plate of fries. It earned him a glare from both of them, but it didn’t stop him. “Seems like you two took the prestigious part very seriously, huh?” He smirked at Bucky across the room.

“Listen, we just followed the menu in the books, okay? Plus, I didn’t hear you complain when we made roast duck last week.” Charlie swatted his hand away from the plate.

“I wonder if those kids have ever had a chicken nugget.” Sharon mumbled over a bite of baked vegetables.

Charlie perked up at the mention of her beloved comfort food. “Oh my God, Shar, do you remember that fast food place across the street from the Academy?”

Bucky was taken by the glint in her eyes that appeared at the fond memory. Her eyes always sparkled like that when she was being mischievous, which was a lot, or when she was sharing a story with him. Or when he was sharing one with her. Now that he thought about it, her eyes sparkled a lot and he liked it. A lot.

“You mean our favourite study date spot?” The blonde chuckled at Charlie’s excitement.

“I’d kill for a box of nuggets.” Charlie groaned in longing. “Ya think it’s still there?”

“Dunno, but we can check it next time we’re in the area. I decided I don’t really care for lobster.” Sharon set her plate down on the counter. 

"Speaking of the Academy, you two never really told us how you became friends. You’re kind of an unlikely duo.” Sam interrupted, when he got bored of trying to fight off Steve away from his food. 

Charlie smiled, the nostalgia hitting her hard. She and Sharon were indeed an unlikely duo, what with their different personalities and slight age difference. Where Sharon was stubborn and ambitious, Charlie tended to go with the flow. They both liked to think that due to their differences, they completed each other.

“When I was in my second year, I worked part time in the Academy’s library, and, well, one night I basically had to kick Sharon out so I could close up for the night.”

"Yeah, I had this massive test coming and she came up to me all shy and asked me to leave.” The women laughed, and it brought smiles to all the men as well.

“Charlotte Barton? Shy? No way!” Scott commented from his corner of the kitchen, plate of food in hand. 

“Hey, contrary to popular belief, not all agents are born with a Glock in hand. That’s just Sharon.” Sharon threw a fry at Charlie, which she caught with her mouth, an impressed _Ooooh _coming from Steve and Sam.

“So what happened after she kicked you out?” Sam turned to Sharon who was again picking at her lobster, giving it a second chance. 

“She invited me out to eat chicken nuggets.” She shrugged, giving up on her plate after all. 

“And that’s how the best friendships are created. Over shitty food.” Charlie smiled as she held up a fry to Sam to toast with, as if they were holding champagne glasses. He responded with a proper belly laugh and lifted his own fry to the toast. 

Bucky was so used to everyone having terrible experiences that lead them to where they were now, that it felt truly refreshing to hear some fun stories. And Charlie was, just like she said that first day all those months earlier, just a simple girl - still full of joy and optimism despite the shitty world around her and the dangerous life she chose. 

With two quick claps, Sharon brought the group’s attention to her. “Well, everyone, go get some sleep. SHIELD will be here tomorrow bright and early to clean up and then we go home.” With that she left for her room. Steve stole the last few fries and ran off as well, unfortunately dodging the fork Sam threw after him.

Other than the mission resulting in the arrest of 9 individuals with ties to Hydra, Charlie was proud to say she could now safely prepare a sort-of-edible meal without any casualties. 

Bucky, on the other hand, learned that maybe he was developing a small crush on the Agent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am...WAY too proud of that white russian joke. Imagine me, writing that, and cackling like an idiot. Yep.


	4. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s a graduation ceremony at the Academy, but a certain trio has a better idea to spend their Friday.

The crowd in front of SHIELD Academy was massive. It’s been a while since Agent 14 was last seen there, always turning down all invitations from the Academy to attend their various events. Mostly, because she was one busy Agent, but also because she figured that since she’d graduated, she didn’t need to show up there anymore.

Six years spent inside those very walls were quite enough for her, thank you very much.

Charlotte was nothing if not a loyal and supportive friend though. Which is why when Sharon had asked her to come to the graduation event where she would be giving a speech, saying no was out of the question.

And so here she was, walking up the stairs of the Academy, noticing out of the corner of her eye that her favourite fast food place was indeed still there. That’s dinner sorted, then.

Making her way through the hallway, she greeted some of her old teachers and a few Agents she remembered from her days as a recruit. She noticed Director Fury and Agent Hill walking towards the back exit, leading to the training fields at the back, where the ceremony would be held.

Just when she was about to step out, she felt her phone buzz in her clutch.

**13: **Are you at the Academy already?

**14:** Just arrived!

**13: **Meet me in the second floor bathroom? Please?

Ah. She’s nervous. 

Sharon was a great team leader and an ambitious, hard working agent, but she had all the right to get nervous before such an event. Especially ever since she revealed she’d the legendary Peggy Carter’s niece, she’s carried a lot of pressure on her shoulders. 

Charlie found Sharon in the women’s bathroom, fiddling with her cue cards, practicing her speech in a murmur, all while nervously pacing back and forth in front of the mirrored wall. 

“Hey there, Shar.” Charlie caught her attention in a soft voice, not wanting to startle her. 

“God, Charlie, I’m so nervous my hands are shaking!” Sharon’s voice was almost a sob. Charlie’s never seen her like this, not even on her own graduation ceremony, not even before a big mission. The blonde ran in her friend’s arms, hugging her tightly. 

“Hey, come on. You’re gonna be amazing, you know. You always are, Shar.” Charlie rubbed her back in a comforting manner, and it did make Sharon release a bit of the tension in her shoulders. “Come on, show me your speech.”

With a sniffle, Sharon took a step back and handed Charlie her notes. “What do you think?” She asked while the other woman was reading through them. 

“Sharon, honestly, this is amazing. It’s really good.” She looked up at her friend with a grin. “I bet you, the entire audience will cry their eyes out. 

Agent 13 answered with a bark of laughter, a bit wet from her earlier sniffling. But Charlie knew that she would be alright when Sharon hugged her tightly again with a whispered Thank you. 

"Hey, isn’t Steve giving a speech too? I haven’t seen him arrive yet.” Given that Charlie’s witnessed how nervous Steve got sometimes, she worried. If Sharon was shaking, she would imagine the Captain was in no better state. 

Sharon sighed but a small smile appeared on her lips.“He’s in the men’s bathroom, stressing over it." 

"Wow, you two have ‘stressing out in the bathroom’ dates? Couple goals!” Charlie grinned and pulled Sharon out of the bathroom and into the hallway, missing the eye roll the other gave her. “Come on, let’s get him. The ceremony is starting soon." 

"Yeah, Hill will eat me alive if were late.” Sharon snickered and followed her friend. 

They got to the men’s bathroom door quickly and Charlie knocked on it a few times before yelling “Come on, Big Boy, time to inspire some youths!” She heard Steve laugh before he opened the door and joined them in the hallway. 

Steve had to admit Charlie really grew on him, despite not trusting her at the beginning. But with each silly but harmless joke he’d warmed up to her over the months. He appreciated her treating him like any other person around her. He’d realised over time, that despite Charlie’s cheerful and seemingly carefree nature, she treated people with respect, no matter if they outranked her or not. 

As they made their way down the flight of stairs, they spotted Bucky and Sam standing off to the side, probably waiting for their leaders. Charlie almost missed a step, because she was too busy ogling Bucky, who seemed to be completely unaware how handsome he looked in his dark jeans and gray button up. He looked so good, Charlie seriously wanted to punch him.

“There you are! Hi Charlie!” Sam spotted them just as they were approaching the last steps. He offered Charlie his arm and she hooked hers with it, a big grin on her face. 

“Hey, you two came as moral support?” She looked at Bucky, who stood there with a blank expression.

“Hell yeah! There’s no way I’d miss an opportunity to see Rogers mess up his speech!” Sam chuckled, but Charlie knew he didn’t mean it seriously. Sam was one of the most supportive people she’s ever had the pleasure to meet.

He still earned an impressive glare from Steve. “Now, now, I’m sure both Steve and Sharon will do great. In fact, Sam, I hope you have some tissues with you, because Sharon’s speech is quite the tear jerker.” Charlie beamed at her friend, who rolled her eyes but smiled brightly. Charlie always knew how to cheer her up.

“We’ll see about that.” Sam pulled Charlie towards the doors to the back field. “Let’s get going before all the seats are taken.” He clapped a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, yanking him out of his thoughts.

Bucky hoped it wasn’t obvious he was staring. Charlie looked so elegant in her black skirt and dark blue blouse that he sort of spaced out for a moment there. Her hair was pulled up in a bun that made her look both classy and cute and he was confused as to how was that even possible. He followed her to the door, only then noticing she had her hand on Sam’s arm. _When did that happen? _

“Are your Angels here too, Charlie?” Bucky heard Sam ask, as he directed them to three empty seats in one of the last rows of chairs that were covering half the field.

“Nope, none of them is enrolled in the Academy, so I gave them a day off. As far as I’m aware they are spending the day at Scott’s place.” She answered and slid in her seat first, Sam following her, leaving the last spot for Bucky. 

The three of them waved at Steve and Sharon, when they passed them on their way to the front row.

Sam and Bucky were looking around curiously, taking in their surroundings. The crowd, the buildings, the shocking number of high level Agents. 

“I take it you’ve never been here before?“ Charlie asked, despite the answer being obvious. She hoped to get Bucky talking, since he seemed unusually quiet. She figured it must be the way too many strangers around him. 

The men shook their heads. “Mhm, I had the exact same look on my face when I first came here.” She continued, now observing the Academy staff getting ready to start the ceremony.

“Why did you join anyway?” Bucky spoke to her for the first time that day, his curiosity finally breaking through all the other feelings that were overwhelming him.

Charlie smiled straight at him and he swore his heart stopped for a second. “I kind of did it because Of Clint. Our family always compared the two of us, my grandmother would say we were both the same kind of trouble makers.” 

“But then Clint grew into this amazing, inspiring person and I couldn’t help but admire him. I guess I wanted to be the cool cousin too.” She laughed. “Plus, the money is great and with my parents being too old to continue with the restaurant, I needed it.”

Bucky frowned, remembering their conversation from weeks before. “But your dad…?”

Charlie shrugged and turned to face the stage again. “He always encouraged me to follow through, so I did.”

The ceremony went on as one would - people clapping, professors and agents giving speeches, the best students receiving awards. Steve had just finished his speech and bowed to Sharon, who stepped closer to the microphone, when a group of Academy students in the row behind Charlie started giggling and chatting in excited whispers.

Her first instinct was that they must be gossiping about Sharon, as many people did, and she was already buzzing with adrenaline at the thought of scolding them. Sam felt her tense up next to him and looked at her in question, but she was too focused side-eyeing the girls to notice his concern.

After a few seconds she saw them stifling squeals, their eyes locked in front of them but.. not towards the stage. She followed their gazes and realised they were losing their minds over Bucky running a hand through his hair. 

Oh. They were Bucky’s fangirls?

She relaxed, seeing as she didn’t have to defend her best friend, who was currently proudly speaking to the graduates in front of her. 

The giggling would not stop though and it started to irritate Charlie. One, because it showed disrespect towards Sharon and two, she realised she didn’t like how invested the girls were in discussing how it must feel to touch Bucky’s hair. She gritted her teeth when one of the girls suggested to just reach out and touch it. 

Charlie wondered if they were aware that Bucky had super hearing and was currently moving his hair in struggle to hide the blush on his face.

Suddenly, to Charlie’s complete surprise, one of the girls leaned forward in her chair, only inches away from Bucky and spoke to him.

“Excuse me, Sergeant Barnes?”

Bucky was just as surprised as Charlie, it seems, as he choked out a “Yes?”

“Could we maybe take a selfie with you?” She waved her phone at him, eyes huge and pleading.

Bucky glanced at Sam who was beyond amused, biting his tongue so he doesn’t say something extremely sarcastic. Charlie was giving the girls a side-eye still and she was _not_ amused _at all_. 

Since no saving came from his companions, Bucky hesitantly agreed to take pictures with the girls, but his smile was forced and looked straight up weird in Charlie’s opinion. She knew what genuine smiles looked like on Bucky’s face and that was not one of them.

The girls went on to tell him how inspiring and brave he was and that they were huge fans, for which Bucky thanked them profusely and blushed even more, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

Sam turned to Charlie with a sly remark of “Who would’ve thought we’d stumble upon the Barnes Fanclub?” Charlie only huffed, crossed her arms on her chest and turned her attention to the stage. All she could hear was the girls ooh-ing and ahh-ing over Bucky. And on one hand she understood, because, well, Bucky was pretty awesome and handsome like the devil, but she still didn’t like this whole situation. 

Was she jealous? Maybe so.

But she also felt like a terrible friend for not listening to Sharon’s speech at all.

Sam took in her expression and stiffness and read the mood perfectly like he always did. He threw an arm around Charlie’s shoulders and pulled her a bit closer to whisper to her.

"Say, Charlie, what are your thoughts on day-drinking?”

"Big fan.“ She murmured back.

"Wonderful. Let’s grab Mr Hot and Famous and get outta here.”

Charlie smiled up at Sam when he stood up, pulling her by the arm, and pushing Barnes up and out of his seat with his other hand.

Once they were back inside the building, Sam still not stopping and basically pulling the other two by their sleeves, Bucky finally broke out of his stupor and wondered where were they going. 

“This ceremony is more boring than Steve’s ‘back in my day’ stories, so we’re gonna have some fun like normal adults on a Friday.” Sam says, as they reach the parking lot, already unlocking the car him, Steve and Bucky had driven earlier.

While the other two climbed inside in shocked silence, Sam shot Steve a simple text saying _Going home, enjoy that dinner with Sharon_. 

In the car, the atmosphere relaxed, as Sam finally got his fill of making fun of Bucky, who blushed wildly and Charlie didn’t even try to stop herself from laughing at the two.

The moment they arrived at the compound, they immediately headed for the elevators. Right before Sam hit the button for the communal living room, Bucky suggested they head for his and Steve’s apartment instead, as he’s had enough people for the day. Sam was hesitant at first, but Bucky insisted they have a fully stocked bar there too, and that didn’t raise any more arguments. 

“Are you sure Steve won’t mind us barging in here?” Charlie asked while Bucky was unlocking the door to the apartment. 

Bucky shrugs as if the answer is obvious. “Sam practically lives here and you’re one of our closest friends.” He pushed the door open for his guests and Sam wiggled his eyebrows at him when passing. 

The apartment was very simple but still very homey, with its wooden furniture and warm colour scheme. Charlie wondered if the boys designed it themselves or if it was Stark’s doing. 

Most of the place was open plan, the living room seamlessly blending into the dining area, which was only separated from the kitchen with an island. There was a corridor to the side, probably leading to the bedrooms and bathroom. 

Charlie immediately gravitated to the very inviting dark brown sofas. She plopped down and to her delight realised the upholstery was velvet. She ran her hands over the soft fabric while the two men raided the little bar area that was set up in the kitchen. 

"This is all whisky.” Sam complained over the of clacking of glass bottles. “Don’t you have anything else?" 

"I’ve got vodka?” Bucky held up the bottle for the other man to see. 

“Of course you do." 

"What’s that supposed to mean?!" 

“We could make White Russians!” Charlie yelled from the living room and then giggled at Bucky’s scowl. 

“Alright, whisky it is then.” Sam grabbed a bottle and three glasses and headed over to where Charlie was spread on the sofa, obviously feeling at home already. Bucky grabbed another bottle, which still probably won’t be enough to get him buzzed. 

“Whisky? What is this, and old gentlemen’s club? Do I get a cigar as well?” He heard Charlie laugh as Sam poured her a glass and Bucky almost slapped himself for staring at her thigh, where her skirt had hiked up just a bit. 

“Well, technically, this is an old gentlemen’s apartment, so you’re not that far off.” Sam threw himself down on the sofa next to her, leaving no room for anyone else, so Bucky opted for the second sofa next to them. 

“Steve doesn’t like smoking though, so no cigars.” Bucky smirked over his glass, and Charlie pouted her lips in fake sadness.

The conversation flowed easily until late evening. Sometimes Charlie would side with Sam in his teasing, sometimes she’d back Bucky against Sam, and sometimes they’d team up against her and she’d pout at them, scoffing dramatically.

Time and liquor flowed freely, and before either of them noticed, it was already dark outside. By then Sam and Charlie have entered the phase of inebriation where dancing in the middle of the living room sounded like a fantastic idea. 

Bucky wouldn’t call it dancing though, more like an awkward and wobbly swaying. He had moved the coffee table to the side so his friends didn’t wake up with bruised calves the next day. Sam had chosen the music, and put it on way too loudly, but Bucky couldn’t care less. He was having way too much fun watching them make complete fools of themselves.

Sam had made a huge show of asking Charlie to dance with him, and Bucky almost combusted from second hand embarrassment. On his way from the record player, Sam tripped on the carpet, but luckily caught his balance before he fell, which made Charlie giggle uncontrollably. He then bowed and reached his hand out to Charlie, the scene reminding Bucky of at least 5 romantic movies Sam or Sharon had bullied him into watching. Charlie put a palm on her chest, gasping in pretend shock and looking at Bucky with wide eyes as if to say _Can you believe this?_ She grabbed Sam’s hand and he pulled her up and so the awkward wobbling began.

Maybe Bucky would’ve been jealous, watching the other two dancing, while he’s sat on the couch nursing his drink, but not even for a second did they let him feel anything but included in the fun. Charlie’s eyes barely ever left him and Sam’s constant joking and ungraceful dance moves left Bucky worried he might end up in medical with stomach ache from laughing.

After a while they got tired and decided it was time for a drink break. This time Charlie fell on the couch next to Bucky and he couldn’t be happier. Sam poured her another drink and she sipped on it happily, while the other man spread himself on the couch with a sigh.

Charlie looked up at Bucky, only to find him already staring at her.

“Whoa.” She breathed out and set her glass down on the floor.

Bucky chuckled, not sure what caught her attention.“What?”

“Sammy, doesn’t Bucky have the bluest eyes you’ve EVER seen? How are they SO blue?!“ She exclaimed in wonder.

Sam finished his drink and set his glass on the floor. "Nah, Steve has blue eyes too. " 

"Yeah, but they’re not THAT blue.” She argued and locked her eyes on Bucky’s. “Bucky’s are like…….Super Blue. We should call him the Blue Soldier." 

Sam draped his arm over his eyes, clearly minutes from falling asleep. "I bet he wears contacts." 

Charlie sighed impatiently and scooted very close to Bucky, gently cupping his face before he could react in any way and slightly moving it to different angles. "Noooo Sammy, they’re real, I’m telling ya! And they’re soooooo blue!”

Bucky has never felt his cheeks heat up this much and he was smiling so wide, they were starting to hurt too. The drunken sparkle in Charlie’s eyes held his attention so intensely, he barely noticed Sam snoring from the other couch. 

“Oh no, Sammy!” Charlie pouted at the loss of her dance partner, and her sadness only intensified when Bucky stood off the couch and walked over to the record player. She kept her eyes on him, as he flipped through the stack of records and put a new one in the player, a softer jazzy music spilling through the room.

Bucky almost skipped back to Charlie, his nervousness taking over. But the grin on her face assured him that not only did she get the hint, but was impatient for him to come back. She already had her hands stretched out to him, before he even got to her and he pulled her up as if she weighed nothing at all.

“You gonna show me how you used to dance in the 40s?” She beamed up at him and he hoped she didn’t notice how his knees shook just a bit.

He cleared his throat and adjusted their position so he had his metal hand on her waist and held her palm with his right. “Think only pigeon over there can dance?”

“No, I’ve heard Steve’s pretty good too.” she teased but moved closer so she could lean her head against his shoulder. He frowned down at her, but knew she was only joking. Her hand moved from where it was propped on his shoulder to his back, were she stroked little patterns with her fingertips.

Somewhere halfway through the first song, Bucky leaned his chin against Charlie’s head, just enjoying the moment. They swayed like that for a few songs, occasionally giggling at the huffs and snores coming from the couch. 

To her disappointment, the drinks and long day started weighing on Charlie and she felt her eyelids drop without her consent. The soft music and Bucky’s warm hold relaxed her so much, she could barely stand upright.

“You okay, Charlie?” Bucky’s voice was almost a whisper and she wouldn’t have picked it up if she wasn’t literally glued to him.

“Mm? Yeah, I- I think I’m getting sleepy.” She whispered back, she didn’t have enough energy in her to speak any louder. “S'there somewhere I can sleep?" 

Normally, Charlie never stayed at the Compound. She had her own place a short drive away, but she’d occupy one of the guest rooms once in a while. This time though, she wasn’t sure if she could stay awake long enough to get to the guest area and the velvety sofa screamed her name.

Not that Bucky would ever let her sleep on a sofa.

"Sure, sweetheart.” She stumbled the moment Bucky let go of her, but quickly caught her again and scooped her up in his arms. “Think I’m gonna have to carry you though, you can barely stand. Is that alright?" 

She giggled to herself - what an utter gentleman! "M'kay.”

Bucky carried her to his bedroom - he was sure his bed was way more comfortable than the sofa Charlie was eyeing longingly. She was already asleep by the time he got to his door. He gently placed her on the bed and tucked her in, pulling the covers up to her neck. The woman made a happy noise and nuzzled into the soft pillow. With a last glance at her, Bucky took one of his spare blankets and headed back to the living room.

He cleaned up a bit, so none of them step in a glass in the morning and sleepily shuffled over to where Sam was sleeping. He nudged the man a few times, but no reaction came. Only when Bucky shoved his shoulder did Sam wake up with a startle.

“What the fuck, man?!”

“Turn on your side. You’re snoring.” With a grumble, Bucky settled on the other sofa.

“Why are you sleeping here?”

“Charlie’s sleeping in my bed.” Bucky did not feel like talking, he felt like sleeping.

“Why are you sleeping here, then?” Sam was still too drunk to avoid the cushion that flew straight to his face. “Okay okay! Jeez…” He shoved the cushion under his head and was asleep again in seconds.

When Steve came home past midnight and found the two men snoring into oblivion on the couches, he only shook his head and headed to his own bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I write this entire chapter just because I needed Bucky to now his eyes are gorgeous? Yes.


	5. Angels, meet Charlie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Somebody gets a promotion!

It was the morning after the SHIELD Academy graduation ceremony. The sun was way too warm and way too bright coming through the windows. At least that’s what is felt like for the two very hungover people currently occupying Bucky’s kitchen. 

Bucky wasn’t feeling much better, but that wasn’t because of a hangover. It was because Sam was unusually noisy that night, and seeing as Bucky slept about three feet away from him- it was Hell for the light sleeper.

The only good part of the experience was when at about 4.45 am, he saw Charlie tip-toeing to the kitchen in just one of his shirts, which she had obviously taken out of his dresser. She got herself a glass of water and shuffled back to Bucky’s room, thinking nobody noticed her. He could get used to that view.

It was now 7am and Steve was still out on his run - lonely this time, since Sam was recovering over a plate of buttered toast and eggs that Bucky had prepared for him. Charlie was nursing a bowl of cereal and Bucky wondered how long it would take until she gave up on the soggy mess. She was back in her clothes from last night, but took the liberty of borrowing one of Bucky’s hoodies and draping it over her shoulders.

Bucky was humming to himself, one of the songs him and Charlie were dancing to the night before, his fried eggs were almost finished, the rest of his breakfast already on his plate. He tried to be considerate of Sam’s headache for once and made an effort not to make much noise, since last night was a lot of fun and he didn’t feel like bickering with Sam just yet.

He sat himself at the dining table, opposite from his two suffering companions, and was about to take his first sip of coffee when the door to the apartement slammed open, making Sam goan and Charlie wince and look up with fear in her eyes.

It was Steve, still sweaty from his run, and obviously pissed off. His shoulders were stiff, fists clenched and the frown on his face was definitely bad news. Bucky watched with interest as his friend stomped over to the fridge, opened it so aggressively everything inside shook and scanned its contents.

“Where the fuck is the milk?” He grumbled at the group.

Charlie, who’s been hogging the carton since she started her breakfast, swallowed thickly. “Steven Rogers, what kind of language is _that_?” She gave him a soft smile as he approached her, hoping to lighten the mood.

“I just found out we lost our team leader, so, forgive me if I’m in a bit of a shitty mood.” Steve mumbled and sat next to Charlie, looking defeated.

Bucky almost choked on his food when Steve’s words sunk in. “What did you just say?”

“Sharon is leaving.” Steve looked up at him and Charlie’s heart shattered at the emotion in his eyes.

“What the hell do you mean, Steve?” Sam turned to him, his own voice making him wince.

“You guys obviously missed the end of her speech.” Steve sighed heavily. “Sharon got promoted yesterday. She’s level 9 now.” 

“Like Hill?!” Charlie gasped. “That’s huge!”

“Yeah, it’s great, she’s overjoyed about that!” Steve lifted his hands in defense.

“But?” Bucky pressed.

“An hour ago she was given the position of Head of Training in the new SHIELD facility in DC.” Steve let that information sink in for a few moments, taking another swig of milk.

“So she’s leaving the team?” Sam dropped his hands to his lap. Charlie has never seen him this sad.

Normally, one would be happy for their friend getting promoted, right? Except this wasn’t just a few extra numbers on the paycheck.

For the boys, she was their ally in the hardest of times, their leader, their trusted friend and for Steve - someone more than all of that. For Charlie, Sharon’s been her best friend through the tough times at the Academy, then at SHIELD, when Charlie was working hard to prove her last name isn’t the only thing she has to offer. During their time as partners, Sharon worked hard with Charlie so she could show her full potential and Charlie was endlessly grateful to her.

After years of constantly being around each other and supporting each other - she would now have to move away. Or give it all up and stay - but Charlie knew Sharon worked way too hard to give up anything.

She took a deep breath and stood off her chair, heading for Bucky’s room. “I’m gonna call her.”

_ _ _ _ 

“When are you leaving?” Alpha Team was gathered in one of the briefing rooms, Sharon was pacing restlessly in front of the three men.

She took a deep breath. “Tomorrow morning. I’ve got my first briefing at 3pm.”

Steve sunk into his chair. He’d hoped they’d have more time to see her off properly. Bucky was in no better state. Sure, he wasn’t in a sort-of-romantic-but-not-really relationship with Sharon like Steve, but her leaving meant him losing one of his already very few friends. Her leaving meant they’d get a new team leader assigned from SHIELD and the list of people who didn’t still hate or distrust him was quite short. Sam liked Sharon’s sharp tongue and didn’t like most other SHIELD agents, so he wasn’t happy either.

“Do you wanna go?” Bucky asked, hopeful that maybe, just maybe she’d say no.

Her eyes were full of apologies when she looked at him. “I’ve worked hard for this. I would be stupid to drop it. Doesn’t mean I’m happy to go.”

Sam ran his hands down his face with a pained huff. “Okay. So what now?”

“I’ve spoken to Hill…Gave her some recommendations as to who should take my place on the team. I can’t promise she’ll consider any of them though. There’s probably already a list of candidates ready.” Sharon would be damned if she were to leave them in the hands of someone incompetent. But still, that decision was entirely out of her hands.

_ _ _ _ 

Shortly after Alpha Team’s last briefing with Sharon, it was decided a Goodbye Get-Together would be appropriate. Charlie accepted the invitation, promising to bring her own booze this time. They all gathered in Steve’s and Bucky’s apartment again - a place where they all felt comfortable.

Charlie appeared at their door with a special surprise as well. Thor had come back to the Compound just that morning and was lovely enough to gift her one of his bottomless flasks of Asgardian mead - something she was sure the two super soldiers would enjoy.

The coffee table was covered in take-away boxes of everyone’s favourite dishes and the flask was indeed bottomless, much to Charlie’s amusement.

Laughter filled the entire apartment and Sharon couldn’t have asked for a better goodbye from her little family. Her and Charlie were reminiscing a lot, and Steve’s arm never lifted from her shoulders. He even leaned down to kiss her a few times when the other three were busy bickering or bullying each other.

“For the record,” Bucky spoke from his spot on the floor, legs spread out under the table and head propped against Charlie’s knee, goofy grin on his face “I still think it’s weird you’re kissing Peggy’s niece.”

“Shut up, jerk.” Steve huffed a laugh and kissed Sharon’s cheek, making her blush more than Charlie has ever seen before.

_ _ _ _

Bucky entered the Quinjet last, an arsenal of weapons strapped to his body. They weren’t supposed to go on a mission before a new SHIELD agent was assigned to them, but bad guys didn’t exactly give a shit about SHIELD and Avengers protocols.

They were about to head out to stop a gang of arms dealers from bringing more weapons inside the country. Alpha Team has had their eyes on them for months and finally, there was movement. Missing such a chance was out of the question.

Sam was already in the pilot’s seat, bouncing his leg and nervously glancing at the second pilot’s seat, where their new team leader would join them soon.

Steve was pacing around, checking the equipment as usual. Bucky didn’t plan on interrupting his stressing. He had his own share of stress to worry about.

If the agent assigned to them was not any of their few befriended ones, it could mean a bleak future for the team. Steve always got himself in trouble, so they needed someone would be willing to go to great lengths to pull him out of it. Sam was a lot like Steve, in the sense that if he didn’t like someone, he’d do everything in his power to go against them. And Bucky…Well, even though he was an Avenger now, it didn’t mean many people trusted him or even treated him like a person, instead of the killing machine he was once forced to be.

“Have you heard who it is?” Sam asked in a low voice, not daring to cut through the thick atmosphere.

“No. Not a word.” Steve frowned from where he was checking the parachutes.

“Shouldn’t we meet them before the mission?”

“Yeah. We should. I don’t like this.” Steve fell into his seat and angrily strapped in his safety belts.

“If I don’t like who walks in, can I shoot them?” Bucky whispers to Steve, trying to lighten the mood. All that stress didn’t sit well with him.

“No, Bucky.” Steve laughed. _At least it worked._

Footsteps resounded on the ramp, getting close quickly. Bucky’s instincts screamed at him to find out who it was, but he was frozen. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Sam and Steve didn’t dare to look either.

Until an awfully familiar voice exclaimed “Good morning, Angels!”

_ _ _ _

Charlie almost burst out laughing when three heads snapped in her direction. They looked so stressed she almost felt bad for her little plot against them.

See, Alpha Team was supposed to meet their new leader the day before, but Charlie explicitly begged Hill not to tell them until the very last second, just to mess with them.

The three men shoot off their seats and closer to her, Steve almost ripping his safety belts off.

Bucky was first at her side, squeezing her arms as if to make sure it’s really her. “Charlie? What the hell are you doing here?”

With her arms trapped, the only place she could reach was his stomach, so she let her palm rest there, reassuring him. “I am obviously your new team leader.” She beamed at the men. 

Bucky took a step back, eyes wide in surprise. Steve let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding and Sam chuckled in relief.

Agent 14 put her hands on her hips and gave them a mock stern look. “Now, I believe I said ‘_Good morning, Angels_’.”

“Good morning, Charlie!” the men yelled with huge smiles on their faces. It didn’t matter that it was 4pm.

_ _ _ _

The post mission bliss really got to Bucky this time, and that did not happen often. Was it the fact that the mission went perfectly and there were 15 goons tied up at the back the jet? Or was it the fact that his best girl was now part of his team? It was probably both. 

“Hey, Char, what of Team Awesome? Who’s leading them now?” Sam asked, not even trying to hide his satisfied grin.

“Ah, Clint took over for me. He’s good with kids.” She chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, Charlie was gonna be part of their team from the very beginning, but I wanted that part of the plot to kind of come naturally along with how her relationship with Bucky evolves.


	6. Birthday boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team organises a surprise birthday party for a certain bird man.

Bucky was spread out on two office chairs- his upper body slumped in one, legs propped up on another. He was twirling one of his smaller knives in his left hand, the soft clacking of metal fingers against the hilt was the only sound filling the room. 

It was pissing Sam off beyond belief. 

“If you don’t stop that, I will stab you with that stupid knife." 

"I’d like to see you try, Sammy.” Bucky’s smirk already had the man up and off his chair, mid-way across the briefing room, when the door opened. Steve was back from his coffee run. 

“Did you go all the way to Manhattan to get those?” Sam grumbled, snatching the cup with his name scribbled on the side out of the cup holder. Steve only raised his brows in answer. 

“What bit him?” He handed Bucky his cup, nodding towards their irritated friend. 

“I wish I could say _me _and solve the mystery, but no such luck.” Bucky snickered. 

What bit Sam, and he refused to mention it, was that it was his birthday and he wanted to celebrate. Instead, not only did it seem like his team was unaware, but they were woken up at 4 am for some dumb mission. 

Steve walked over to the top of the table where Charlie usually sat, set a large cup in front of her chair, and made his way to Sam who was sipping his drink with a frown on his face. 

“What’s with you?” He asked, taking a seat next to the man, who grumbled something that sounded like _nothing_. 

The door opened again, this time revealing a wide-eyed Charlie, a pile of files in her arms.

“Boys, you will not believe what I’ve got for us today!” She huffed, setting the obviously heavy pile on the table. “Ah, thank you for the coffee, Steve.” She took a sip of her drink, sighing in content at the taste. She looked around at her teammates, Bucky’s ridiculous, gravity defying position catching her attention. “Legs.” She scolded him and he immediately scrambled to sit up, not missing the chance to roll his eyes at her. 

“So what do you have, Char?” Steve cleared his throat. The mood in the room was all over the place today. 

“Chitauri drugs.”

“Chitauri do drugs?“ Steve lifted a brow at her. 

"Drugs _made from_ Chitauri.” She clarified, opening the first folder from the stack. “From the lab reports, we figure they must be using a modified method of dry-freezing the corpses and the grinding them into powder. They call it Shockwave." 

"As you do.” Steve nodded. 

“Like… from what part exactly?” Sam looked completely horrified and disgusted. 

Charlie shrugged. “No clue. You can ask them when we bring them in.”

“Hold on, when you say dry-freeze, do you mean like that raspberry powder you use sometimes?“ Bucky leaned over the table, eyes full of fascination. 

"Yep, and now that you mention it, I will never use it again. Ew.” Charlie shuddered. 

“Where did they get the Chitauri from, anyway?“ Steve wondered. "The last time those things showed up was in 2012.”

“One of the suspects is an ex-SHIELD employee. They broke into one of the lab archives where our scientists keep stuff for further research. Agents have been on their tail for weeks now.” Charlie explained. “All that’s left to do is to shut it all down, confiscate everything and capture everyone involved in production and distribution.”

“Who’d want to snort a Chitauri, anyway?” Bucky frowned. “Can you even get high from that?" 

"You get so high, you literally die.” Charlie slid a list of known victims towards him, quite a lengthy one too. 

"That doesn’t sound fun.“ He murmured, looking down at it. 

Charlie snickered, she loved Bucky’s dark sense of humor. "New team rule. The only drugs allowed are Bucky’s brownies and those weird ass smoothies Steve buys.”

Steve crossed his arms across his chest, his biceps bulging menacingly. “I knew you guys were stealing them." 

"You should get a subscription, ya know. For the good of the team.” Bucky smirked at him from across the table, earning a pen to the forehead. 

_ _ _ _

Charlie slid into the seat next to Bucky, just as Sam started the quinjet’s engine. “You didn’t say anything, did you?” she whispered.

“I’m a spy, I know how to keep secrets, ya know.” He scoffed at her. 

“You better, or you’ll be in deep shit." 

He tsk-ed at her. "You kiss your mama with that mouth?" 

She rolled her eyes at him, a small smile pulling on her lips. "Don’t start. Just keep it hush hush, yeah?" 

"You should worry about Rogers, not me. One pout from Sam, and he’ll spill everything.” He pointed back behind him, where Steve looked up from his tablet, eyes wide in innocence. 

Charlie only looked at him and ran her thumb across her throat, sending a clear message how much trouble Steve will be in if he lets their secret out. 

_ _ _ _

They expected some resistance, but they did not expect there to be more goons with machine guns than actual dealers and scientists. 

Even with Tony and Natasha backing them up, Alpha Team was slightly outnumbered. 

“This is bullshit!” Charlie heard Sam in her earpiece. He was taking cover behind some crates, reloading his guns. “It’s my birthday! I should be in a club, flirting with chicks and having fun! And what am I doing? NOT HAVING FUN!" 

"What do you mean you’re not having fun? I thought gun fights were your favourite!“ Natasha’s smirk was clear in her voice. She took down three goons while talking. 

"Oh, it’s your birthday, Sammy-boy? I’ll send you a basket of bird feed.” Tony’s chuckle sounded over the comms. He was nowhere to be seen, but his beams could be heard as he was shooting gang members. Sam didn’t answer either of them and Charlie felt bad for him, since he’s been sulking all day.

Fortunately, numbers was the only strength of the enemy. The Avengers overwhelmed them quite easily, and soon enough, people where getting cuffed and loaded on the jets, ready to be taken in custody. 

The team was securing evidence, packing up whatever drugs, supplies, machines and alien remains that were littering the warehouse in which the drug dealers had as their base. Charlie was packing up bags of dark blue powder- the Shockwave drug. She was careful not to rip any bags, as not everyone on the team had a mask, and breathing that stuff in was bad news. A few paces away, Sam and Bucky were packing up tools, when she heard Bucky call out. 

“Hey, Sam!" 

The man turned to him with a disinterested look, still sulking. 

Bucky held up something wrapped in brown paper and handed it over to Sam with a smirk. "Happy birthday!" 

Sam went to unwrap the package, the corners of his lips curving upwards. But the glint in Bucky’s eyes meant nothing but trouble. 

With a loud yelp, Sam dropped the thing on the floor and jumped a few steps away, only stopping on the next table over. He glared at Bucky, who was bent over, laughing loudly and gripping the wall in support. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Sam screeched, a hand held up to his heart, in some sort of attempt to stop it from crashing out of his ribcage. 

“Aw, come on, Sammy. Just wanted to cheer you up a bit.” Bucky wiped the tears from the corner of his eye and lifted what Charlie realised was a severed Chitauri arm. He waved it at Sam first, then and Charlie, dumb grin on his face. 

Only then did Charlie understand why Sharon had a constant case of migraine. 

“Alright everyone, let’s finish this up and move out!” Tony called out from where he was escorting cuffed scientists on the jet het and Natasha used. 

_ _ _ _

“Oh man, I’m beat…” Sam grumbled, stomping off the jet, shoulders slumped in exhaustion.

“Same here, I need like three days of sleep.” Charlie was dragging her feet, eyes already shutting before she even reached the exit of the hangar.

The mission had dragged for hours. Not just the fighting and cleaning up, but they had to deliver those captured to the authorities and they were putting up quite a fight. Alpha Team had only just made it back to the Compound and it was already dark.

“Hey, do you guys mind if I use your shower? I hate the communal ones.” Sam lit up at the idea of stealing Steve’s expensive shower gel.

“Sure, knock yourself out.” Steve waved a hand. 

They headed towards the elevator to the living quarters, Charlie dragging behind them, instead of her usual route to the garage and straight home. 

“And where are you going?” Bucky draped an arm over her shoulders before she could make it to the elevator, pulling her close. With the added weight of his left arm, it was almost impossible to stay upright.

“I’m gonna steal one of Steve’s smoothies and bolt.” She smiled lazily. She was sure there was a strawberry one somewhere in the fridge.

Once they got to the apartment, Steve, Bucky and Charlie beelined for the kitchen. While they were raiding the fridge, Sam headed for the bathroom.

The moment the door clicked shut, all movement in the kitchen stopped. Bucky and Steve turned their heads towards the corridor, listening.

They heard the shower go on and turned to Charlie with smirks on their faces. “Operation Birthday Boy is a go.”

_ _ _ _

** _The Night Before_ **

“I say we go with red velvet, Buck. Look how pretty it is! And matches his colours too!” Charlie pointed at the page she had opened on her tablet. Her and Bucky were slumped over the kitchen island, ingredients scattered on all surfaces around them. All they had to do is decide.

“I don’t know… What if he doesn’t like the icing?” He frowned. He himself was more keen on the classic birthday cake.

“What about this one? Salted caramel cheesecake?” She switched to a different tab.

“Cheesecake for birthday? Nah..” He shook his head.

The door to the apartment opened suddenly and they froze, peeking they heads around to see who it was.

“Steve! Come here, show us what you got!” Charlie waved him over. She had sent him to get decorations and a variety of alcohols, since Sam always complained about the lack of choices in the Rogers-Barnes household. 

Meanwhile, her and Bucky were on cake duty, but didn’t seem to be able to pick a recipe.

“Alright, so.” He propped a large bag on the bar stool on the opposite site of the island. “I’ve got those confetti shooting things you told me about. I just wanna remind you that you promised to clean up if we use ‘em.” Charlie waved at him to continue, not acknowledging any promises. “I’ve got some sparklers, balloons and a canister of helium. Oh, and the lady in the store insisted on hats, so I got those too.”

“Awesome! Well done, Steve! How’s the banner coming along?” Charlie was beyond excited. 

Steve insisted on making a banner for Sam but wouldn’t let her or Bucky see what he was working on.

“It should be dry by now. Some last touches, and it will be ready for tomorrow.” Steve smiled at her warmly. When he had mentioned Sam’s upcoming birthday, he didn’t expect Charlotte to make such a big deal out of it, since she’s only been their leader for less than two months. She surprised him with a master plan, though.

“Did you two wrap the gifts?” Steve set the bag down on the floor and sat in the chair, now eyeing the chaos in front of him. 

“Yep. All nice and wrapped, hidden in your closet.” Bucky beamed up at him.

“We have one problem though, Steve. We don’t know what cake to go for. Help?” Charlie’s puppy eyes were impressive, almost as powerful as Bucky’s. She pushed the tablet towards him, a list of cake recipes already displayed.

Steve scrolled for a few seconds and then huffed. “Why don’t you just make a chocolate cake? Everyone likes chocolate, and most importantly- Sam likes chocolate.” He gave the tablet back to the cooking duo.

They looked down at the recipe, then at each other and shrugged. “Yeah, that works.”

_ _ _ _

Sam walked out of the bathroom, let out a loud sigh of content, finally feeling alive again. He wore a fresh change of clothes he picked up from the stack he had left in Bucky’s room. Bucky wasn’t joking when he said Sam practically lived there.

He was surprised to see the lights in the main room switched off and the place quiet. Charlie did say she’d leave, but he didn’t expect Steve and Bucky to go to sleep without eating or showering.

He wondered if the three ravenous beasts had left any food in the fridge or if all that was left were the terrible SHIELD protein bars that always found their way to the snacks cupboard.

The moment he turned the corner into the kitchen, he heard a shuffle behind him, but before he could react, the lights suddenly went back on, a loud chorus of “Happy birthday, Sammy!” filled his ears.

By the time he realised what was happening, Charlie had already pulled him in a hug, and behind her Steve and Bucky were smiling ear to ear at him. Bucky was holding a massive cake with a bunch of candles and sparklers lit on top.

“You guys…?” He mumbled, not really sure what he even wanted to ask.

“Did you think we forgot, Sammy?” Charlie beamed up at him. “We’d never forget!”

“I know you wouldn’t, I just- I didn’t expect this.” He returned her hug and she rubbed his back, as he was already tearing up.

“We wanted to surprise you, that’s why we didn’t mention anything.” Steve gripped his shoulder, pulling him in a big hug too, Charlie just barely escaping being crushed between them. 

“Sorry for letting you sulk around all day though. Maybe next time we’ll get you a birthday breakfast muffin to keep you going.” Bucky joked. “And sorry for the arm. That was nasty." 

“It’s alright, man, I mean, you got me a cake and everything. All’s forgiven.” Sam shrugged.

“_Got _you a cake? We made this bad boy ourselves!” Bucky scoffed in mock offense and lifted the cake slightly in emphasis. “Now are you gonna blow the candles before my hair catches fire or not?”

With a chuckle, Sam blew the candles and was rewarded with a loud applause. Bucky pushed past the others to set the cake on the dining table to finally cut it.

“Sam, look what Steve made you!” Charlie pointed at the wall above the flat screen tv.

There was a big hand painted banner hung there, _Happy Birthday, Sam!_ written in dark red letters. Directly underneath was a portrait of their team, based on a picture Sam remembers them taking the very day Charlie was promoted to be their leader. And all around that, there were multiple little drawings of actual falcons and a couple Red Wings here and there. 

Sam was speechless. Steve must have spent days on this. There was a plethora of colorful balloons under the ceiling and more decorations on the coffee table.

“How did you manage to put all of this up while I was showering?” Sam chuckled.

“Well, Bucky and I were running around like maniacs, while Charlie prepared the candles and food. Team effort.” Steve was truly proud. Seeing one of his most loyal friends happy with something they prepared for him warmed his heart.

“Alright boys, wipe those tears, it’s time for cake!” Charlie came back to the living room, a plated piece of cake in each hand.

“I don’t know Charlie, Bucky said you guys made that. I don’t feel safe eating it if you were involved.” Sam smirked down at her and she shoved him playfully.

“Bucky kept an eye on me, it’s perfectly safe to eat.”

“I’d never let her ruin a cake and you know that, Wilson.” Bucky came over with two more plates, handing one to Steve.

After they’d have their fix of chocolate, Bucky broke out the drinks selection Steve had provided. Each person chose and they settled on the couches, ready for a night of celebrations.

A while later, Charlie sat up with a gasp and ran to Steve’s bedroom. Before anyone could question her, she came back with three large envelopes, each wrapped in dark red paper, with a bright glittery red bow going around it.

She gave Steve and Bucky one each and kept one to herself. Sam lifted a brow at her grin.

“No birthday party is complete without gifts, so we all got you something.” She explained.

“Guys, you didn’t have to. What you’ve done is already more than enough.”

“Hush. We love you, and we wanted to do something nice for you. Here, open it.” She handed over her envelope and sat back to watch Sam struggle to open it.

When he had impatiently ripped through the wrapping, he took the piece of paper out and stared at it in confusion.

“What- ?”

“It’s a voucher for cooking lessons.” Charlie smirked at him.

“A _couples_’ cooking lesson?” He looked up at her, even more confused.

“I’d suggest you take Bucky, because you two have been on my nerves lately with your bickering, but you know… Take whoever you want.” She shrugged, but her tone strongly suggested he takes Bucky. Sam only laughed and thanked her. Wouldn’t hurt to learn how to do some basic things without starting a bloodbath with Barnes.

“Okay, my turn. I hope I made a good choice.” Steve said, slightly nervous.

“Are these…. tickets to Stevie Wonder?!” Sam’s voice was almost a screech. They all knew he’d wanted to go to that concert, but it was sold out before he even had the chance to check the ticket prices. Steve didn’t use his title like this often, but when he did, he did it for a good cause.

Last was Bucky, and he was probably more nervous than he should be. Charlie had assured him it was a great gift, but he still worried. 

“You always call us your family, but I know you miss your ma a lot. I thought it would be nice if you could spend some time with her. I called her to ask her permission and everything.” Bucky explained as Sam was looking through the multiple documents inside the envelope. Plane tickets, hotel and restaurant reservation, a SHIELD document confirming he was given a week off duty.

Sam looked up at him, tears really close to escaping his eyes now, and Charlie fought the urge to hug him again. “Thank you.” 

Those simple two words held more emotion than any of them could’ve imagined. Sam loved his mother more than anyone else in the world, and granting him the chance to finally spend some time with her - no missions, not bad guys, no schedule - was probably the best thing anyone could ever do for him. 

He got off his seat, walked over to Bucky and hugged him tightly. With a sniffle, he patted Bucky on the back and leaned away to thank him again. Charlie saw Steve wipe his eyes. 

The rest of the night went by fast, what with the party starting quite late. Steve took care of the music, playing whatever albums he had that he knew Sam liked. He was pleased the confettis were forgotten in favour of the sparklers, which Charlie seemed completely bewitched with in her drunken state. 

Some dancing took place as well, but since Charlie was the only woman in the room, she suggested that Bucky asks Sam to dance. To everyone’s amusement, not only did he agree but also managed to dip Bucky and act as if he was going to kiss him, only to drop him on the floor with a loud _thump_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to write something nice for Sam, because I love him very much.


	7. Need a hand?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little damage leads to some tender moments between Bucky and Charlie.

The training room was bright with the late morning sun coming through the floor to ceiling windows and filled with the sounds hits being delivered, and the grunts of the men fighting.

Steve and Bucky have been sparring for almost an hour under the watchful eye of Charlie, who in all honesty was starting to get bored. Sure the difference in their fighting styles was fascinating but she hasn’t even had coffee yet and the two men looked nowhere near finished. 

The stamina of the two super soldiers was something she’d never get used to and she hoped Sam would be back with their coffees before she drops on the stack of training mats and sleeps through the rest of the day. 

She was toying idly with her pen, observing Steve and Bucky and trying to figure out what was wrong. Because something was very much off about the two in the past days, she just couldn’t put a finger on it. Just then, Sam strolled inside the room, paper bag in one hand and a cup holder in the other. 

“Those two still at it, huh?” Sam plopped down on the mats next to Charlie, placed the paper bag between them and handed her the coffee. 

“Mhm. What you got there, Sammy?” She practically shoved her face inside the bag, the smell of fresh croissants hitting her nose. 

“I thought I’d get us some breakfast since Conan and Robocop are taking forever today. Pain au chocolat, boss?“ 

“Have I ever mentioned that you’re my favourite Angel, Sam?“ Charlie grinned at him and gladly took the pastry from him, immediately biting a piece off and moaning at the taste of chocolate on her tongue. 

“You only say that because I bring you food. We all know Barnes is your favourite.” Sam laughed when Charlie choked and sputtered. 

“First of all - -” Charlie’s explanation was interrupted by a loud snapping noise that came from where the sparring ring. 

Charlie and Sam turned around to the sight of Bucky pinning Steve to the mat with a knee and his right hand on Steve’s shoulder. They were both breathing heavily, chests heaving and had their eyes fixed on Bucky’s left arm which was wrist-deep in the mat, right next to Steve’s head. 

Charlie ran over to them immediately, gesturing to Sam to stay back and she put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. 

“Bucky?” She called his name softly, her thumb rubbing on his shoulder, to get his attention. “James, stand up, please." 

"Buck?” Steve called to him with a small voice. 

Bucky slowly lifted himself off Steve, as if he barely realised he was holding the man in place, and flexed his arm, causing more snapping and whirring noises.

“Bucky, are you okay? What happened?” Bucky remained silent, not answering any questions or returning their worried looks. 

Steve was hectic, a never ending stream of apologies came from him, but Bucky didn’t seem to be listening, he simply kept on flexing his arm, a frown pulling on his features. Charlie kept her eyes on him, but motioned for Sam to help Steve up. Sam kept both hands on Steve’s shoulders, trying to calm the distraught man. 

Charlie stepped closer to Bucky and softly touched his cheek, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Buck, are you hurt?" 

"I’m fine. I messed up the arm though.” He exhaled, clearly saddened that his beloved vibranium wonder was damaged. 

“Should I call Shuri?" 

"Nah, I’ll have a look at it first, I might be able to fix it myself.” He gave her a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Okay. Go do that, and we’ll clean up here and come up to the apartment to keep you company, yeah?” Charlie moved some hair out of his face and he nodded. 

Cradling the metal arm with his flesh one, Bucky slowly made his way to the elevators, the moment he disappeared through the door, Charlie turned to Steve.

“Steve…What the hell just happened?”

“I’m sorry, Charlie.”

“Hey, it’s not like you broke it on purpose, right? Maybe you two shouldn’t go so hard though. You’ve been sparring for like an hour now. ‘S there something going on, Steve?”

“No, we just got carried away, I guess.”

She sat down on the mat next to the super soldier, pulling the other two to sit down as well. “Steve, if there’s something, anything at all going on with either you or Bucky, I would really appreciate it if we talked about it. You two almost never go that hard while training and I’m worried - both as your leader and your friend.”

Steve looked down where he was nervously poking at his palm with his thumb - a clear sign he was anxious.

“C’mon, man, talk to us.” Sam prodded.

Steve sighed heavily and looked between his two friends. “Fine. I miss Sharon.” At Charlie’s tight smile, he stiffened. “Not that I have a problem with you, Charlie, it’s just -”

“I know, Steve. I miss her too.” Steve let her pull him in a hug.

Of course she knew the boys all missed Sharon, especially Steve. Charlie was their friend, and even if they were close, it’s only been two months with her as their leader, whereas Sharon has been with them for a couple of years.

“What about Bucky? I doubt he almost punched a hole through the floor because you miss Sharon?” Sam pointed out. Sure, he was in tune with Bucky a lot of the time, but even Sam couldn’t read minds. 

“He’s… struggling these days.” Steve murmured, not really willing to discuss the topic, so Charlie didn’t press any further, but judging by Sam’s nod, he knew what that meant. 

After all the mats have been put in their places and the damaged one was discarded, the group collected their things and headed to the apartment. While still in the elevator, Charlie decided to text Bucky.

**Charlie:** doing okay?

**Buck: **Not bad. Just need to replace a few parts.

**Charlie:** need a hand? ;)

**Buck:** Bring coffee?

_ _ _ _

The incident in the training room wasn’t the first time Bucky and Steve had ruined equipment or went too hard against each other. But it was different this time, as Bucky has felt himself slipping for at least a week until he lost control during sparring. It was a clear sign which he immediately recognised and knew exactly what would happen soon, but right now he had something else to worry about. A few parts in his arm that he noticed were getting worn lately have finally snapped, but he was glad it didn’t happen mid-mission. 

He had contacted Shuri a while ago to send over replacements and they’ve been sitting in a box on his desk since they arrived, but he simply didn’t have time to make any proper repairs due to missions and paperwork keeping him busy.

He reached for the box from Shuri and started digging through it for the part he decided to work on first. Only moments later a knock on Bucky’s door catches his attention, Charlie poking her head through the barely open door. She spotted Bucky at his work table and grinned at him.

“Hi, I’m looking for Bucky’s Handy Garage?” She held out a steaming cup of coffee.

Bucky pulled out a little stool from underneath the table and waved her inside. “Haha. Come, sit.” 

Charlie stepped closer, carefully placing Bucky’s mug away from the tools that were littering the surface of the table. She made a ooooh noise at the sight of Bucky’s left arm on the surface, the vibranium plates moved aside, revealing the complicated machinery inside, one Charlie couldn’t even begin to understand. She sat down and leaned her head on Bucky’s right shoulder, fascinated with how easily he seemed to work with the tech.

“Did it hurt earlier?” She spoke after a few moments of comfortable silence.

“No, not really. It kind of felt like…hmm.. pulling a muscle.” Bucky murmured, as he concentrated on his work.

“So you can feel with it?”

“Of course, it’s connected to my nervous system.” The sound of laughter came through the door. Steve and Sam had obviously already made themselves comfortable in the living room. “What are they watching?”

“Sam suggested FRIENDS when we were in the elevator, so I’m guessing it’s that.”

Bucky laughed. “Is that why you bolted from there so fast?”

“I would rather chew an artery out of my arm than watch that damn show and you know it.” He laughs more at her hatred of the show, his whole body shaking.

Comfortable silence fell over them again and Charlie sipped some coffee from Bucky’s mug, at which he muttered “Thief”.

She smirked back at him and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his shoulder where she was leaning earlier. A smile pulled on the corners of Bucky’s lips, which he tried to fight in favour of finishing his arm quickly. He was almost done anyway. 

Since Charlie wasn’t exactly helpful, she looked around the room. Even though she’s been in there before, she never really looked around properly, and she was curious about what Bucky had there, what items were important to him.

She glanced over at the neatly made double bed, which she remembered to be very comfortable, a standing lamp on one side of it and a simple side table on the other. Then there was the walk-in closet all rooms at the Compound had, a bookshelf, some wall display shelves mounted to the wall and a dresser. And of course, Bucky’s little workshop corner, facing the floor to ceiling window. 

On his dresser, she spotted a bunch of framed pictures and she was about to comment how grandma-like that is, when she noticed that in the very center, in the biggest frame, proudly stood a certificate she recognised immediately.

On Bucky’s most recent birthday, she took him and the boys to the planetarium and afterwards gifted Bucky with a certificate that proved she had an actual star named after him. 

“You…framed the star certificate?” She asked in a low voice, not really realising she was speaking aloud.

“Of course I did.”

She turned to him excitedly. “Can I have a look at the other pictures?" 

"Go ahead.” He shrugged.

Charlie went over to the dresser to have a better look at the other pictures he had displayed there. He had some old pictures of him and Steve from the 40s, a picture with Natasha and Sam taken in some bar, two group pictures of Alpha Team, one with Sharon, one with Charlie. A picture of a younger Bucky, probably around fifteen, with an older woman and a young girl, his mom and sister, caught Charlie’s attention. She hasn’t seen many pictures of Bucky before the war and she couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he was in the photo.

“These are nice.” She murmured, picking up the frame to have a better look at it.

“Mm.. Good memories." 

Bucky must have taken his looks after his father, Charlie thought, as the only similarity to his mother she noticed was his chin. His sister looked like a smaller, even cuter clone of Bucky and she didn’t even bother stopping herself from smiling at the realisation. She gently placed the frame back in its place and walked over to his overfilled bookshelf, some books overflowing on the floor in stacks. History books, some literature classics, books about space, even some more modern fantasy series she definitely approved of.

Off to the side were a few shelves with more pictures and multiple knick knacks, amongst them a small and very old looking Eiffel Tower miniature, some old coins, and a pair of dog tags.

She wasn’t sure if it would be okay to touch them, so she decided to stand on her tiptoes instead, trying to read what was on them. Suddenly, she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her, his left now back in its place, and pull her to Bucky’s chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and hummed in question, a startled Sorry coming from Charlie.

Bucky liked how much closer the two of them have become since the day she was promoted to their team’s leader. Not only did they spend a lot more time together, due to missions and training, but they had time off at the same time, which they could also spend together if they so chose. Which they did, a lot of the time. 

They would watch movies together, hang out around the Compound, even go to the city together sometimes. Bucky didn’t like the crowds and the noise, but neither did Charlie, which made her an expert in avoiding them. She’d only drag him shopping in the early mornings when she knew there wouldn’t be many customers around and she’d take him to little cafes and restaurants that were off the main street and didn’t catch the attention of tourists. 

They had a lot of tender moments like this one as well, for example the morning of his birthday, when he found Charlie in his kitchen, making him breakfast.

*

_Bucky could already smell the food when he approached the apartment door. He had just returned from his morning run and he was surprised there was someone else in the kitchen, as he was sure Sam and Steve were still outside doing laps._

_"What’s going on in here?” He asked as he took off his shoes and dumped them by the door, to be collected later. _

_A familiar face popped out of the kitchen. “Okay, I was totally gonna hug you, but you’re all sweaty so that’s not happening.” Charlie giggled, but the way she was looking him up and down would suggest she didn’t actually mind that much. _

_“Hug me why?” Bucky wondered as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. He could see now that she’s made a plate of pancakes and was just finishing up the last one in the pan. A small tinge of pride ran through him when he realised all of his cooking lessons did in fact bring results._

_Charlie set down the spatula, lifted her arms for emphasis and beamed “Happy birthday, Bucky!" _

_He choked on his water, he didn’t recall ever mentioning it to her. "How do you know it’s my birthday?" _

_"I’m your team leader, Buck, I know your file by heart.” She rolled her eyes at him. _

_He took a few steps towards her, leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, taking a few seconds to assess what was in front of him. _

_She was wearing shorts and a black long sleeve shirt, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Steve’s apron was draped over the front of her body but she didn’t bother to tie it. Her hair was up in a simple ponytail and there seemed to be a permanent smile on her lips. Other than the pancakes, she had a bowl of fresh berries set to the side, as well as a small bowl of fresh whipped cream. Add all of that, and Bucky could feel his mouth watering. _

_“Did you make these all by yourself?”_

_“Uh, I may have ruined the batter and used a ready mix instead. But hey, I didn’t burn anything!” She smiled, clearly proud of herself._

_The longer he kept his eyes fixed on her, the more intense the blush on her cheeks was getting._

_“Why are you staring?” She mumbled, not looking up. _

_“I just think it’s nice you made me birthday breakfast.” He murmured, still watching her as she turned off the stove and placed the last pancake on the pile. _

_The silence between them was unusually tense. Normally, their conversations would get even more flirty when they were alone, but for some reason something felt off. Charlie took the apron off, hung it on its hook and washed her hands. _

_“Hey." Bucky called out to her in a soft voice, as she looked like she was seconds from bolting out of there and he wanted to know why. "C'mere.”_

_Charlie looked him up and down again and seemed to contemplate for a moment. She walked over but wouldn’t meet his eyes long enough for him to figure out what was on her mind. _

_“Why are you being weird, Charlie?” He lowered his head slightly, trying to get her to look up at him. _

_“It’s nothing.”_

_“You sure about that, sweetheart? Never seen you acting like this.” He reached out and ran his fingers along her forearm, barely touching. _

_Charlie finally looked up although it was hard to concentrate on just his face. She took in his appearance again - the black sweats, the gray tshirt, his hair pulled in a little bun on his nape, the worry in his eyes and those adorable crinkles that surround them._

_She exhaled in frustration. “You look really cute and I need you to stop doing that.”_

_"What?” He chuckled. “Looking cute?" _

_"Yeah.” It was ridiculous how flustered this man made her sometimes._

_“I can’t just switch off my natural charm, sweetheart.” He smirked and suddenly pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist._

_“Ew! Let go, stinky!” She squealed as she tried to wriggle out of his hold. “If you don’t let go, I’ll cancel your birthday party!" _

_Bucky froze. "What birthday party?" _

_"It’s a surprise.” She grinned up at him, no longer putting up a fight. _

_“Tell me. ” He pouted the way he knew always worked on her, but she was set on not giving in._

_“Nope. Eat your breakfast and go shower. Then, I’ll tell you." _

_“No, don’t wanna.” He nuzzled her neck, making her laugh and she swatted at his arm._

_“What do I have to do to make you go away?” She huffed._

_“How about a birthday kiss?” He grinned at her. Things between them were getting better and better with each day. It didn’t hurt to try his luck, right? Charlie stared up at him in shock though, and he worried he might’ve overstepped._

_But then she surprised him, by leaning up and kissing just the corner of his lips, lingering there for a moment, before she pulled away again._

_Before Bucky could say anything, he heard voices in the corridor outside - Sam and Steve were back from their run as well. Bucky sighed and lightly pinched Charlie’s cheek while she stared in confusion. She nodded in understanding when she heard the jingling of keys outside the door._

_“There goes our moment, huh?” _

_“To be continued, sweetheart.” Bucky moved around her and to the coffee machine. _

_*_

Later it turned out that Charlie had used her connections to book the entire planetarium just for the team. Or, more specifically, Bucky himself - Sam and Steve being the party guests.

It wasn’t that they were trying to keep their “relationship” secret. They’d often show affection for each other in front of Steve and Sam, and even Sharon when she was still around. Their “relationship” at the moment was somewhere in between friendship and an actual relationship, they were still figuring it out. Which was why they preferred to keep little moments like these only between the two of them.

"Just wanted to see what you’re up to. Got awfully quiet.” Bucky whispered in her ear, a shiver running all the way down her spine.

She leaned her head back against his shoulder so she could look up at him.“Did you think I was plotting something evil?" 

"Yeah, I was already reaching for the handcuffs." 

Her eyes widened at that. "You keep handcuffs in your room, Bucky?” she grinned like a Cheshire cat and he cleared his throat. 

“You hungry?” He attempted to dig himself out of the hole he so unfortunately fell into.

“Kinda.” She never finished that pain au chocolat Sam brought her. “Wanna cook something together?" 

"Sure. Let’s go ask Steve and Sam what they want.” He took her hand and pulled her towards the door, hoping the little slip up would be forgotten. But this was Charlie, so of course it wasn’t.

"You didn’t show me those handcuffs yet!“ She pulled him back, that silly grin still on her face and a very dangerous glint in her eye.

"Come on, sweetheart.” He shook his head, pushing her out of the room, her giggle warming his heart.


	8. Safe haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky’s depression acts up but help is quick to find him.

Bucky could feel himself slipping days before it got really bad, he’s learned to recognise the signs by now. He’d get irritable, impatient, he could go from laughing at Sam’s jokes to brooding in mere seconds. And when the depression got the best of him, he’d feel the need to take a step back and isolate himself from everyone and avoid speaking more than a few necessary words at a time. He’d stay in his room a lot of the time, and when even that got too much for him, he’d wander the Compound grounds or the woods surrounding it. 

Missions on such days were literal hell, no matter how easy they were. Merely holding a gun up would remind him of his days under Hydra, and the guilt just deepened his state. Steve had learned to read the signs early on as well and would always ask Sharon to pull Bucky out of missions, for which Bucky was endlessly grateful for. 

Charlie hasn’t seen Bucky during one of his bad days, which was why his absence during briefing confused her. 

“Steve, where’s Buck?” The meeting started 15 minutes ago, and he was never more than 10 minutes late. 

“He was in his room when I left. I don’t think he’ll be coming.” Steve murmured, not lifting his eyes from the last mission report. 

Charlie didn’t have time for his vague answers, she’s noticed Bucky’s behaviour has been off lately and now he doesn’t show up to the briefing? Doesn’t even text? “What’s going on?”

“Charlie, don’t worry, he’s gonna be fine.” 

“Steve, please tell me what’s going on with him. He’s been distant the past few days, now he doesn’t show?” 

“His depression is acting up again.” Sam explained with a pained huff. No matter how much the two bicker, Charlie knew Sam cared deeply for Bucky, so it only made sense that whatever happened to Bucky- it affected Sam as well.

And Charlie of course knew about Bucky’s struggles with his mental health, and even if she herself never suffered from depression, she understood how difficult it could get. She knew Bucky had the tendency to isolate himself when things got rough, but she still felt guilty for not doing anything to help him earlier. 

“What can I do?” Charlie gave Steve a pleading look. She wanted to help Bucky, but she didn’t know how to approach him.

“Give him some time for now. He might snap at you if you try to get him to talk. Come by for dinner?” Steve knew Charlie and Bucky were about a step away from officially dating at this point and he also knew how much Charlie cared about him. He figured that having her around might actually be good for his friend.

_ _ _ _

For the remainder of the day, Charlie busied herself with paperwork. It was a pain in the ass and she hated it immensely, but at least it kept her from constantly worrying about Bucky and fighting the urge to text him and see how he’s doing. Who else if not Steve would know what to do in this situation? If he said to give Bucky some time, then she would do just that.

Sam had his own agenda for the day, so he left the Compound right after the briefing, but Steve stayed behind. After dealing with whatever responsibilities he had, he headed to the apartment to check on Bucky, but he was nowhere to be found. 

Steve figured Bucky must be on one of his walks, so instead of sitting around like a guard dog, he went out to buy whatever ingredients he needed to prepare dinner that night. By the time Charlie arrived later that evening, Sam had already returned and the food was ready but Bucky was still gone. They have all messaged him and tried calling him but no answers came. The team was restless and even asking FRIDAY for help was useless. All they could do is wait and hope that Bucky didn’t get caught in the rain that had started earlier that evening.

“Well, fellas, I think I’m gonna head home.” Charlie sighed, resigned.

“I’ll text you when he gets home.” Steve stood off the couch to walk her to the door.

“Please do, I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep if I don’t know if he’s okay.” She gave him a weak smile and pulled the door open, revealing a soaked Bucky Barnes, his hand raised as if he was about to knock.

They stood there for a moment, completely taken aback by the sight in front of them. 

“Bucky!” A wave of relief flooded Charlie as she saw him standing there after losing her mind all day long. But as she took in his appearance, worry took her over again. He was completely soaked, his hair was sticking to his skin and clothes, which were dripping with water, and his combat boots were creating pools of dirty rain water on the floor.

“Sorry about the water.” He murmured. 

“It’s okay! Don’t worry, just hold on, I’ll get you a towel.” Without waiting for an answer, Charlie ran to the bathroom, grabbed two large towels and was back at the door in record time. Bucky pulled his boots off and gave them to Steve who already was waiting to take them along with he drenched leather jacket.

Charlie pulled him inside the apartment, kicked the door closed and wrapped one of the towels around Bucky’s shoulders, then pulled the other one over his head to gently pat his hair dry. “That’s better.” She smiled at him and gently touched his cheek. “Are you okay?”

He looked at her with such a mixture of emotions in his eyes, she needed a moment to recognise them all - sadness and pain but also longing and gratefulness.

He didn’t speak a word because really, what could he even say? How could he explain everything that was bothering him? His past, his guilt, that he couldn’t sleep and when he did, he either saw what he’s done or what he fears the most, the fact that he can constantly hear everything people say about him- his enhanced hearing be damned. All that. All that and more, things that he couldn’t even word, were all like a constant static noise in his head that he couldn’t shake off. 

The reason he didn’t say anything was because he didn’t want to burden anyone else with his problems and really, sometimes he felt like he had no right to complain. But the way Charlie, Sam and Steve were looking at him with concern made him want to just spill out everything, let all the pain out, but it felt like it was stuck somewhere inside him and he couldn’t get rid of it. 

So no, the answer to Charlie’s question would be no, he was very much not okay. But he didn’t trust his voice this time and all he did was take a step closer and lean his head on Charlie’s shoulder. 

She immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close, whispering something to him, but he couldn’t quite concentrate on what she was saying. Only when she leaned back and touched his face, did he realise she was asking him something. 

“Are you hungry?” He shook his head, although he probably should eat something, as he’s only had coffee and some water that day. “Okay. Do you want to take a shower? Warm up a bit?” He appreciated that she didn’t push him to eat or do anything really, she wanted to help but on his own terms only. 

He let her lead him to the bathroom, where she ran the water for him and told him to get started while she got him fresh clothes. By the time he got dressed and came back out, the apartment was filled with the comforting smell of freshly baked food and Bucky could feel himself salivating as he made his way back to the kitchen, relishing in the warmth of the sweater Charlie had picked out for him. 

The main lights have been switched off, the only source of light were the soft yellow lamps under the kitchen cabinets and the candles lit on the dining table, where Charlie, Sam and Steve were chatting in low voices, and a plate of food was set up for Bucky. The atmosphere in the apartment was so warm and cosy, Bucky would feel it seeping deep in his bones.

“Smells amazing.” He murmured as he sat down where his food was waiting for him, a smile pulling at his lips and he could already feel himself getting pulled out of the pit he had fell into. 

“I tried a new recipe Sam got from him mom. We tried it earlier too and I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.” Steve laughed. He was relieved to see Bucky already easing back to his usual self, he hated seeing his best friend in pain.

“Speaking of my mom, I went to see her today and she said to give you a hug from her, Buck.” Sam spread his arms out, ready to relay all of his mother’s love onto Bucky, who leaned away from him with a chuckle.

“No offence, but I’d rather have the real thing.”

“Oh, so it’s like that, huh? You don’t want my hugs, old man?” Sam huffed in faux offence, clutching at his heart as if Bucky had truly shattered it.

Bucky shook his head at the man’s antics. “Don’t lose sleep over it.”

After he’d finished eating, Sam made Bucky a cup of tea and the four of them stayed up talking about nothing in particular, and with every joke or funny story, Bucky felt like a layer of ice started to melt off him and the exhaustion started catching up with him. As Steve and Sam were bickering over the physics of Steve’s shield - something that neither of them really had a clue about, Charlie moved closer to Bucky and absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair as they both listened to the nonsense in front of them.

Charlie felt lips at her ear and Bucky’s warm breath sent chills down her spine. “Thank you for this.”

She pulled back just enough to look at him and grinned. He looked beautiful in his thick sweater, fluffy hair and the contrast of shadows and soft light gave him a truly breathtaking look.

Her hand traveled from his hair down his spine and she let it rest on his lower back, where she rubbed little circles with her thumb. “You’re welcome. Are you feeling better?”

“I am. I think I’ll go to bed though, haven’t slept much these days.” He whispered as he moved some stray hair behind her ear.

“Do you want me to stay with you tonight?” Sure she had stayed over before, but her and Bucky never shared a bed. It felt like some cuddling was just the thing for Bucky now, though.

“Don’t you wanna go home?”

She shrugged. “I missed you. I’d like to stay, if it’s okay with you.”

He breathed an Okay as he draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, resting his cheek on her head and letting the absolute adoration he felt wash away his worries.

After the table has been cleared and Sam had left, Steve retreated to his room with a wave and a big grin on his face, happy that the dinner did end up being a success. Charlie had raided Bucky’s dresser again, pulling on a hoodie that reached almost halfway down her thighs and by the time he had joined her back in the bedroom, she had already settled in bed, scrolling through her phone while she was waiting.

“Ya stealing my stuff again?” He smirked at her while she played with the strings of the hood.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now get in here, I’m sleepy.”

He chuckled but wasted no time and made himself comfortable under the covers, Charlie immediately scooting over before his head even touched the pillow.

“Do you wanna be my little spoon?” The question made Bucky laugh, it was so cute and innocent. How could he say no? 

He turned on his side and let Charlie find the perfect position, and when she had finally settled with a satisfied hum, one of her arms was under Bucky’s pillow, the other one draped over his waist and her face was buried in the crook of his neck.

“You okay back there?” He reached out and played with her fingers where her hand lay limply by his head.

“Mhm.”

Just when he thought she may have fallen asleep, she surprised him with a question. “Can we go somewhere tomorrow?”

“Hm, where?” As much as he loved spending time with her, going out wasn’t exactly on the top of his list just yet.

“S’mwhere nice..” She mumbled, seconds from falling asleep.

_ _ _ _

About thirty minutes after leaving the Compound, Charlie parked her black convertible in front of a small two storey house. The outside was simple, modest even, wooden slats covering the walls and wooden shutters protecting the windows from damage and intruders. 

There wasn’t much of a garden, only plain grass surrounded the house, with a couple of old, tall trees off to the side, and Bucky could see the lake that spread out at the back. Since it was late fall, the leaves were long gone and everything was coloured in various shades of orange, yellow and red, making the old brown house look like it’s just another part of nature rather than a man-made creation.

“I bought this place when I started working in the Compound.” Charlie began to explain while Bucky was looking around, taking in all the little details. 

There wasn’t a fence surrounding the property, which he found odd, until he spotted the familiar black round sensors in the ground - Stark’s motion sensors. The place might look plain and unguarded, but was secretly covered in the best security available outside of Wakanda.

“I love my job, and the team, but we both know it all gets overwhelming.” She continued as she unlocked the front door, motioning Bucky to follow her inside. “I needed a quiet place where I could be just Charlie, not Agent 14.”

The entrance opened directly to the living room, which looked nothing like what Bucky would have imagined. The walls were painted a deep turquoise colour, which matched perfectly with some of the cushions and blankets spread on the dark leather sofas in the middle of the room. There was a fireplace off to the side and various pictures littered the shelf above it. Bucky couldn’t recall the last time he had the pleasure to sit in front of a fireplace and he longed to experience that again. From the window looking out the back of the house, Bucky saw the lake again, now only a gray mass of water, and the outline of the porch that must cover the entire back wall of the house.

A jingle of keys caught his attention and he looked back at Charlie, who was watching him as he got familiar with the space.

“These are the spare keys and I’ve written down the security codes for you.” She handed him the keys and piece of paper with a shy smile.

“Why..?”

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. “I know some days are too much. And that’s okay, you’re not a machine. I know you need your space sometimes, but honestly I would rather let you hang out here instead of you walking in the rain and freezing out there.”

“I’m barely ever here, really, I just sleep here most of the time. So if you ever feel like you wanna have some peace and quiet, feel free to come here whenever you like.”

His first instinct was to thank her but kindly decline, he couldn’t help but feel like he would be dumping all his issues on her, in her own home. But the truth was, he didn’t enjoy spending his entire days outside on days when all he wanted was to hide and be alone, which made Charlie’s offer all the more appealing.

"Are you sure about this? This…. this is your space. I don’t want to intrude." 

"You’re not intruding, Buck. I’m inviting you. You’re always welcome here. Come on, let me show you around.”

Charlie had offered him the spare bedroom upstairs, all the while apologising for it being less than half the size of Bucky’s room back at the Compound, but he would never dare complain. The bed was a decent size even for someone of his height and there was plenty room for him to bring some things over. 

Over time the plain little room turned into Bucky’s own sanctuary, with a bunch of his most comfortable clothes filling the dresser, soft blankets piling on the bed and items connected with his favourite memories littering the shelves around the room.

His presence in the house was very obvious in the other rooms as well. Some of his books have found their way to the bookshelf in the living room, and a few of his cups could be found in the kitchen cupboards, various favourite snacks of his filled a shelf in the pantry and he had brought a case of spare tools for his arm in case he ever needed them.

At first it was strange for Charlie to suddenly have someone else there, especially when Sam took to calling them the Bundy’s, but she had to admit Bucky was a great companion in the otherwise quiet house. She had always considered it her safe place and to see Bucky feel the same way brought a warmth to her heart that she could never fully shake off, even if she wanted to.

At first, Bucky would only show up at her house when his depression got the best of him, and she was glad that he chose to come over instead of wander the streets. And it really seemed like staying at the house did wonders to get him back on his feet. 

But when a little family of feral cats appeared on the property, Bucky started coming over almost every day. He’d feed them and try to befriend them, and after a few weeks they did stop hissing at him. Charlie would never forget the magical sight that was James Barnes, the fierce Winter Soldier, being chased by a group of four very loud kittens the moment he stepped off the porch to feed them. 

_ _ _ _

With Charlie’s permission, Steve would sometimes visit Bucky at the house, bring some food and a few bottles of smoothies, if Sam and Charlie haven’t already devoured all of them. He would spend hours on the back porch with Bucky, reminiscing mostly. 

It was one of those nights when Bucky decided it was time to confess something both to Steve and himself.

“I really like Charlie.” Bucky announced, looking out over the lake, now covered in a layer of ice.

“I know.”

“No, Steve, I really like her. I wanna ask her out.”

Steve chuckled at Bucky’s frustrated tone. “You two basically live together, I assumed you’re already a couple, just haven’t announced it yet.”

Bucky turned to Steve, a frown on his face. “Would it be weird? If I asked her out? I mean, she’s our team leader.”

“Nah. As long as you two don’t get it on right in front of me and Sam, I think we’re good.” Steve laughed and Bucky joined him. 

For the rest of the night, Bucky wondered what would be the perfect way to ask Charlie out on a date and where would he even take her. 

Long after Steve had left and Bucky was deep in thought in his bed, he heard Charlie come back home, speaking on the phone in a soft voice. He wanted to immediately jump off the bed and greet her, but he was too far gone and knowing that she was back home safe, brought an ease to him that immediately pushed him into deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based Bucky’s depressive episode on how mine usually play out. I have to admit it felt sort of cathartic to analyse and write about it.


	9. Oldest trick in the book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This series couldn’t be complete without a Stark party and sappy confessions. That’s all I’m gonna say ;)

It was a lovely night for late September, but Charlie was glad the festivities for Pepper Potts’s birthday party were held inside the large party room at the Compound instead of the gardens. The chill coming off the lakes surrounding the building was nothing she wanted to worry about that night.

The room was truly spectacular, as expected of a Stark party, especially if it was in honour of Tony’s beloved fiancee. A dark blue, heavy fabric, speckled with tiny sparkly bits was draped along the walls, giving the large room a feeling of intimacy, while looking like the guests were surrounded by a beautiful starry sky. Under the ceiling, a huge amount of fairy lights gave off a mixture of soft yellow and cute pink light, only adding to the effect of the impressive crystal chandelier in the centre. On all tables, as well as on stands situated at perfect intervals along the walls, beautiful glass vases were filled with bouquets of white and pink flowers - roses, tulips, lilies, hyacinths and others Charlie could not name.

The party was divided in different sections, giving the guests the freedom to celebrate however they liked. There was a dance floor directly under the crystal chandelier, two bar areas, a plethora of tables was set up around the room, the couches from the original set up were still there, though covered in white fabric and pushed slightly to the side, to give some privacy to those who seeked it. And in the far back of the room, on a slightly raised platform was the games corner, which Charlie was very familiar with - Alpha Team had spent countless evenings fooling around in that corner.

Since it was such a special occasion and all members of the Avengers, as well as many high level Agents were expected to be there that night, Charlie decided to dress up a bit more than usual. She may have had a certain super-soldier is mind as well. She chose a floor length dress, simple in its shape but very eye catching due to the countless gems covering it from the thin straps over Charlie’s shoulders, down her chest all the way to her hips, where they dissolved into an airy off white, almost see through fabric. The neckline was a lot lower than she was used to, and the back was more revealing than she would usually opt for. It made her slightly uneasy at first, but she had to admit she looked quite pretty and by the time she made it to the gathering, she didn’t even notice any discomfort. She pulled her hair up to show off her neck and opted for no jewelry, as the dress was sparkly enough.

Joining the party was a unique experience, Charlie could not recall another time where she had the opportunity to see so many familiar faces in one place. Usually someone was travelling, or on missions, or on a different planet. This time, literally everyone was there. 

Thor and Loki had returned to Earth with some new friends, which Charlie was excited to meet - especially the shockingly beautiful woman who seemed to match Thor’s drinking pace. Charlie thought they could be great friends. Further away, Bruce and Tony were having a heated debate with Jane Foster, while Natasha and Pepper were rolling their eyes and sassing the men whenever they got the chance. There were so many people there, Charlie didn’t even know whom should she greet first, but that problem was quickly solved by someone running straight into her.

“Charlie!!” Lila, Clint’s daughter squealed as she tightly hugged Charlie’s waist. “You look so pretty!”

“Hey there, princess! Look at you! Weren’t you smaller the last time I saw you?” Charlie bent down to be on the girl’s eye level and pinched her cheeks lightly.

“I’m taller than Nate though!” Lila stuck her chin out higher, which made Charlie laugh. Nate was barely three years old.

“Sure you are! Hey, wanna show me where your dad is? I haven’t seen him in ages!”

Lila pointed towards a large table off to the side where sure enough, Clint was excitedly chatting with Laura, Scott and Hope. Charlie greeted them all, then went on to hug the life out of Wanda, Pietro and Peter, who also seemed a bit taller than she remembered him. They were doing well under Clint’s leadership, picking up his spy tricks and terrible eating habits, but really who was she to judge. Alpha Team lived off brownies and coffee most of the time.

“Ah, so you got a promotion and don’t even say hi to old friends, huh?” A familiar voice spoke up when Charlie reached one of the bar areas.

“Who let you in here? You don’t even go here!” Charlie laughed, and pulled Sharon in a tight hug and refused to let her go until she was almost punching Charlie away.

“Look at you! You’re glowing! Alpha Team life treating you well?” Sharon looked Charlie up and down and made her twirl to show off her dress.

“You were right about the smoothies, they do work wonders, I’ll give you that.” Charlie shot her a wink. Smoothie theft was something she picked up from Sharon, who was kind enough to share the location of Steve’s not-so-secret-anymore stash. “How have you been? Having fun over in DC?”

“Well, I thought it would be more exciting but mostly I just argue with dumb people a lot.” Sharon shrugged and sipped on her drink.

“Hey, you can always come back here. I know a certain trio that could use a scolding once in a while.”

“Speaking of which…” Sharon jerked her head to point behind Charlie, where the _certain trio_ was all but running towards them, all blinding smiles and sharp suits. Steve immediately pulled Sharon in a hug and stayed there with his arms around her, while Bucky and Sam stayed by Charlie’s side and ordered drinks for all of them.

“I hope the three of you have been behaving well? The lack of complaints in Charlie’s emails is worrying.”

“Of course we have, what did ya think?” Sam scoffed playfully.

Sharon noticed the vibranium hand that somehow found its way to Charlie’s waist, and lifted a brow at the owner of said hand but chose not to comment on it just yet. Charlie patted Bucky’s hand, perfectly comfortable with the public display of affection.

Sharon was glad to see her closest friends so happy in each other’s company. She was worried Agent Hill wouldn’t follow her recommendation and would pick some other asshole to be Alpha Team’s leader. But seeing how much the boys adored Charlie and how natural their friendship was, made Sharon relax immediately, knowing that they were _all _in good hands.

Everyone was having a wonderful time at the party, the team moving around and greeting friends and acquaintances, sharing a drink here and there. When it all started to cool down and the loud dance music transitioned into softer ballads later in the evening, Sharon pulled Steve to the dancefloor, where they danced as if the entire world around them had disappeared.

The rest moved to the back of the room - their favourite game corner. The game of the night ended up being darts and Charlie, being slightly tipsy already, decided it was an excellent idea to challenge Bucky.

“You’re gonna fail miserably, Charlie.” Bucky laughed, but she only repeated his words in a mocking tone and went on to pick up the darts.

“You _do _realise he’s a sniper who can’t get drunk, right?” Sam laughed as he set himself down at one of the small tables surrounding the game area. 

“That’s completely irrelevant. Natasha is an excellent spy but is still shit at poker.” Charlie would not back down. 

Few rounds in, it quickly turned out her aim was still decent despite her state, and her score was dangerously close to Bucky’s. Which was why he decided to take matters in his own hands. Literally. 

When Charlie was getting ready for her last round, Bucky came up to her from behind, put his hands on her hips and pressed her back against his chest. 

He felt her shiver as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Do your best, _sweetheart_.” He lightly kissed her ear and watched her throw her last darts, miss the target completely and as a result - loose the game.

She groaned in frustration, while Sam was laughing his head off about how Bucky used the oldest trick in the book and she still fell for it. Well, maybe she did but somehow she didn’t feel that disappointed. She couldn’t, not when Bucky’s warmth was seeping through her skin straight to her bones.

Bucky leaned down again to kiss her temple as he wrapped his arms around her. 

“Since I won, don’t I get a reward?” He murmured, swaying Charlie to the music coming from the dancefloor.

“And what is it that you want, Bucky?” Even though it wasn’t the first time they found themselves in an embrace, somehow it felt different. He felt different. 

They’ve been dancing around each other for so many months, it sort of slipped Charlie’s mind that they weren’t actually dating. Between spending lots of time together, going out together and him living at Charlie’s house on and off, it felt like they already were together in a way. Maybe Sam was right to call them an old married couple after all.

“Go out with me?” Bucky spoke after a moment of thought. Charlie looked up at him, eyes wide and so sparkly, Bucky couldn’t believe this was finally happening.

"Let’s go to the cinema, then eat cheap chicken nuggets at that place you used to love. What do you say?“ He suggested.

Charlie leaned up to kiss his lips. She’s wanted to do that for ages and she had to admit Bucky did not disappoint. He was warm, so warm, she always wondered if it was the serum’s doing or just him in general. Either way, it had always felt right to be held by him or for her to hold him. And now that he let her have the kiss they’d both wanted for ages, it felt better than right.

It didn’t even matter that they were in a crowded room and people were probably staring. Nor did it matter that they were both dying to get out of there and change out of their uncomfortable attire. All that mattered was Bucky’s hum as he kissed her back, which Charlie felt more than heard and she decided that peach flavoured lip balm was an excellent idea after all.

When they pulled away for air, Charlie needed a few seconds before she could speak. Her brain was filled with a pleasant buzz that made thinking way too difficult. “So romantic. I like that.”

Bucky grinned as he stroked her cheek. “Why don’t we get some drinks first?” 

“You don’t have to get me drunk, I already agreed.” She chuckled when Bucky’s mouth dropped open in mock offence and pulled him to the nearest bar, leaving a proud Sam sitting in the corner, sipping on his glass of whisky. 

He didn’t get the chance to feel lonely in the crowd, for only moments later Steve and Sharon approached him. 

“Did we miss something?” Sharon smiled knowingly. She was watching them from the dance floor and has been well aware Bucky had a soft spot for Charlie from the very beginning.

“Nothing much. Our friend Bucky over there, _finally _asked Charlie out. _And_, she kissed him. I believe you owe me something, Rogers.” Sam grinned proudly, Steve chuckled, rolled his eyes but pulled out his wallet to hand over a 100 dollar bill.

Back at the bar, Charlie and Bucky were so wrapped up in each other’s company for the rest of the night, they forgot all about their friends back their table. For once they made the decision to focus only on each other - after all, this was a special night.

One could think they were glued to each other. Charlie was sitting on the only barstool available, with Bucky right at her side with his arm permanently hooked around her waist and keeping her close. She kept at least one hand on him at all times - playing with the lapel of his black suit jacket, twirling a stray strand of his soft hair around her finger or simply holding his hand. They were chatting quietly in their little private bubble, while the party around them continued.

Nothing else mattered in that moment - not the crowd, not the music, not even whoever was sitting right next to them. The only things that mattered where their own murmured words and the pecks Bucky insisted on leaving all over Charlie’s face just to make her laugh.

“Say, Buck, did you know that Sam and Steve had a bet going?” Charlie asked after the bartender handed her a refill of her soda.

He snorted - o_f course_ they’d had a bet. “Do tell, Charlie.”

“A while ago, I - _completely accidentally_ \- overheard them talking and apparently there was money on the table about which one of us would kiss the other first.” She explained.

“And?”

“And there’s some cash in Sam’s pocket that should technically be mine.” She grinned.

As Charlie shared her evil plan to trick Sam into giving her the money he won off Steve, Bucky couldn’t help but stare at her with a sappy smile on his face. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he still had the memory of the first time he heard her voice and she won him over with one silly joke. And then, the first time he actually met her in person and she turned out to be the prettiest girl he’s ever met. She had him wrapped around her finger and he was perfectly fine with it.

“You’re staring.” She giggled after Bucky didn’t react to any of her words for a while.

“Sorry, sweetheart. Got distracted.” He said sheepishly, but the smile never left her lips.

“What were you thinking about, Buck?” 

Was it too early to say it already? Definitely, but it was still true. Bucky’s known for a while and he had a feeling, Charlie wouldn’t be surprised if he said it out loud. The mere thought gave him a strange feeling in his stomach and his heart was beating fast, but he really wanted to say it, he was done waiting.

Bucky set his glass on the bar, Charlie watching him closely, and he wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her cheek, letting his lips wander up to her temple and then to her ear and he did what his heart told him was right.

“Just thinking how much I love you.” He whispered and felt her gasp and pull away a bit so she can look at him.

For a scary second, her expression was blank, before she broke into a laugh, grabbed his face and pecked his lips.

“I love you too, sappy old man.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, my friends:)  
This series has come to an end! I hope you had fun reading as much as I had writing!

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO LISTEN  
This is the first proper series that I actually managed to finish and I am super proud of it. Maybe it's nothing special to some, but every chapter of it makes me smile and I am very happy with the finished product.  
Also I sort of used this series as a character study for my Marvel faves, because it was the first fic I started working on when I got back into writing back in April/May.  
I may have also purposefully put Sharon in the "best friend role" in order to unlearn the Sharon-hate this fandom is filled with and it was a joy to explore her character and learn to appreciate and love her.  
I hope you enjoy this series, it's literally just buckets of fluff, humor and shenanigans.


End file.
